Arsenal will take on Everton in the Premier League on Sunday and thanks to the international break, Bukayo Saka could be an absentee for this tie.
The winger has been sensational for the Gunners but he has been suffering from a niggling Achilles injury since last season and the same kept him on the bench on Tuesday night when England faced Scotland in a friendly.
As per the Daily Mail, Saka is having trouble with his Achilles which means he is a serious doubt for the trip to Goodison Park on Sunday.
Gareth Southgate told the press: “He’s had a slightly sore Achilles and it’s another one where it would have been easy to lull out on the camp and miss out on a night like this that I’m sure will live with him forever.”
“He’s had it for a few weeks. It is an injury that just needs managing… when you’ve had one of the best nights of your life, it’s a reminder that it’s worth going through these things.”
Will Bukayo Saka be rested on Sunday?
An Achilles injury can become serious if aggravated, so there’s very little chance that Mikel Arteta is going to risk using him against an Everton side that is yet to pick up a win this campaign. Possibly, the Arsenal boss is going to give him the weekend off.
Another reason why Bukayo Saka is not likely to be involved on Sunday is because next week, the Gunners will return to the Champions League as they take on PSV and then just a few days later, they are going to face a buoyant Tottenham side in the North London Derby.
And, the manager will want Bukayo Saka to be fully fit for these two key encounters.
As far as replacements are concerned, Arteta has Leandro Trossard in his squad who can easily come into the starting lineup and slot into the right wing. The manager can also push Eddie Nketiah out on the right and then bring Gabriel Jesus back to lead the line.
Selecting an alternative should not be an issue for the Arsenal manager, especially against a team like Everton but he will have to be very careful with how he uses Bukayo Saka in the next few matchweeks. Arsenal have already lost Jurrien Timber for the rest of the season and the last thing the manager will want is for Saka to miss out for a couple of months.
