Bukayo Saka remains a major doubt for Arsenal’s Premier League clash with Brighton on Saturday.
The 22-year-old was left out of the team for Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Luton Town on Wednesday evening after he as forced off with a muscle injury in the goalless draw with Manchester City last Sunday.
On Friday morning, Mikel Arteta revealed that Saka would undergo a late fitness test in the team’s final training session before their trip to Brighton for Saturday’s evening kick-off.
‘We will know with our training session in a few hours,’ Arteta said. ‘We will know whether he is fit or not.’
However, in the pictures of their training session which were released by Arsenal later on Friday, Saka was not seen in training with his teammates.
This does not always indicate that a player will miss the next game, however, Arsenal will also be mindful of any potential fitness risk with Saka in their game against Brighton, which is just three days before the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich.
Despite Saka’s injury concerns, Arteta is adamant that the England international will play a major role in the final part of Arsenal’s campaign.
‘I’m super positive, I think he’s going to fly and be so decisive,’ Arteta said on Friday.
‘Because he’s so strong, and how much he wants it. When you talk to him and how excited he is about what is coming, he wants to be there.
‘He’s getting better and better and it’s normal to have little niggles. You have kicks and he’s gone through a lot of that in the last two or three years and now look at the way he’s performing.’
Meanwhile, Jurrien Timber was part of Friday’s training session as he closes in on a return from his ACL injury which has kept him sidelined since last August.
Arsenal currently sit two points behind leaders Liverpool in the Premier League and will go top of the table if they beat Brighton.
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