Arsenal take on Aston Villa in the Premier League on Friday and the manager has confirmed that Bukayo Saka will be tough and go for this encounter.
The youngster faced the brunt of a bad tackle from James McArthur on Monday so the manager had no other option but to take him off during the half-time break. And now while giving his team news for the Aston Villa game, Mikel Arteta has confirmed that the England international will have to go through a late fitness test.
“He hasn’t trained yet, so again we have to assess him today and see how he is,” Mikel Arteta said in his pre-match press conference.
“It is down to the doctors and himself to see how he recovers and how he feels when he trains today and tomorrow. He is very important, he has shown how important he is for the team.”
Who will replace Bukayo Saka in the starting line for Arsenal vs Aston Villa?
Bukayo Saka has been a key player for Arsenal this season, starting seven out of the eight league games, so if he is not available then it will be a big blow for the Arsenal manager.
Also, if Saka is not ready then Mikel Arteta might be forced to use Nicolas Pepe once again and given how he had performed on Monday, the fans will not want to see him on the pitch.
🚨 Bukayo Saka was not in training today as he’s still nursing a calf injury following being booted into the stratosphere against Crystal Palace. pic.twitter.com/kBHAznYHhO
— Connor Humm (@TikiTakaConnor) October 20, 2021
With Saka out, Emile Smith Rowe is expected to move to the left flank with Odegaard playing as the No 10 and Pepe operating on the right wing.
The manager also has the option of using Lacazette up front and Aubameyang on the left-hand side but the Gabon international has played his best football when operating through the middle so Arteta is not likely to take this tactical gamble.
Lacazette scored a late goal on Monday so he’s definitely pushing for a start but we are more than sure that the Frenchman will start on the bench once again.
Here are the two possible attacking formations which Mikel Arteta can use if Bukayo Saka is not fit:
Option 1:
Option 2:
