Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka has been absent from the squad in recent weeks, leaving the Gunners without one of their most influential players at a crucial stage of the season.
The North London side appear to be searching for inspiration and leadership to guide them through the final stretch of the Premier League campaign.
Goals have become harder to come by, and nerves are mounting as Manchester City continue to put pressure from second place ahead of Sunday’s highly anticipated title showdown.
The possible return of Bukayo Saka could be exactly what Arsenal need to lift morale as they prepare to face City at the Etihad Stadium.
Saka has been sidelined with an Achilles injury and has not featured since the Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City last month.
The England international seemed close to making a comeback before the Champions League quarter-final second leg against Sporting on Wednesday night, but he ultimately missed that fixture.
His availability for the trip to Manchester remains uncertain, with doubts persisting over whether he will recover in time for the key encounter.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta provided an update regarding the winger’s condition. According to FourFourTwo, there are reports suggesting that Saka could potentially be sidelined for another month due to the ongoing Achilles issue.
“It’s something he’s been dealing with for some time,” Arteta explained. “It’s an Achilles problem. It’s progressing, but hopefully it will only be a matter of days rather than weeks. We’ll need to see how he responds once the workload increases.”
While Saka’s form had slightly dipped before his injury, his return would inject much-needed creativity and energy into Arsenal’s attack.
When asked whether players nearing a return, such as Saka and Jurrien Timber, might have to play through pain, Arteta responded: “They are trying to do that.”
“We know how critical player availability is during this decisive phase of the season,” the Arsenal boss added. “We’ve been without four or five regular starters for several weeks now, and that definitely has an effect. That’s why getting them back is essential.”
Arsenal travel to East Manchester for a 4:30 pm kick-off against Pep Guardiola’s side on Sunday afternoon, with their title hopes potentially hinging on Saka’s fitness.
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