Bukayo Saka was on the receiving end of a crunching challenge (Image: Getty)
Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Bukayo Saka is still ‘in pain’ after Arsenal’s 4-0 victory over Ipswich Town. The winger was on the receiving end of a late crunching challenge from Leif Davis, which resulted in Chris Kavanagh sending the Ipswich star off.
Saka received treatment following the tackle before appearing to shake off the problem. The England star was then substituted off in the 57th minute for Ethan Nwaneri at Portman Road, with the scoreline at 2-0.
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The Gunners went on to cruise to victory, with Leandro Trossard grabbing his second goal of the game moments later before Nwaneri’s deflected strike put the game to bed late on.
But the gloss was taken off the victory at full time when Saka returned to the pitch to applaud the travelling Arsenal faithful. Saka was spotted walking gingerly across the pitch, with Davis’ challenge certainly leaving its mark on the No.7.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the match about Saka’s condition, Arteta said: “I didn’t see the tackle, it was quite fast. It’s a good decision from the referee. He in a bit of pain but thankfully it doesn’t look anything too serious.”
Saka ran riot during the opening stages of the clash at Portman Road, missing three big chances and creating several openings for his teammates. The winger was unfortunate not to have registered an assist for Trossard’s opener, with his cross flicking Martin Odegaard before finding its way to the Belgium international.
Saka also played a vital role in Gabriel Martinelli’s goal, fizzing a cross into the path of Mikel Merino, who expertly managed to backheel the ball into the path of the Brazilian to convert from close-range.
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Arsenal will be hoping that Saka will be available for their upcoming fixtures, with their Champions League semi-final clash with Paris Saint-Germain certainly on the mind of Arteta when making his substitutions on Sunday.
Trossard talked up the importance of momentum when analysing the game with Sky Sports, saying: “We want to win every game but we know how tough it is in the league. A good win today and we just need to keep pushing going forward. It is nice to be on the scoresheet again and helping the team to get a win. We are there for a reason, we have been doing very well in the Champions League. We have to keep believing."
