Arsenal signing suddenly vital for Mikel Arteta who starred in Leeds clash – and it’s not Viktor Gyokeres

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Arsenal will wait on news of Bukayo Saka’s injury picked up against Leeds ahead of next week’s fixture with Liverpool – opening up a huge opportunity to new summer signing Noni Madueke.

Saka scored in Arsenal’s dominant win over Leeds, but his second-half injury was a negative on an evening that sent the Gunners above rivals Tottenham to the top of the Premier League.

Mikel Arteta will be aware of Saka’s injury history over the last 12 months, especially as he appeared to gesture to his hamstring as he gingerly limped off at the Emirates.

Saka had hamstring surgery last season and struggled to shake those injury problems in a frustrating campaign, and Mikel Arteta called the new issue ‘significant’ ahead of next week’s trip to Liverpool.

Noni Madueke has golden opportunity to take on Bukayo Saka responsibility

If Saka is out for any length of time, Arteta will need to change his team and system against Liverpool next week at Anfield.

New signing Eberechi Eze could be a likely replacement after Arsenal announced his signing prior to the Leeds win, but he prefers to operate more centrally. Arsenal also lost Martin Odegaard through injury against Leeds so Eze may replace the Norwegian’s creativity at Liverpool.

Instead, it must fall to fellow summer signing Noni Madueke to take on Saka’s attacking responsibility in the coming weeks following his move from Chelsea.

Madueke has not been the most popular of signings in a slow summer for Arsenal in the transfer market, yet he started the Leeds win having come off the bench against Manchester United.

Mikel Arteta casts doubts over Bukayo Saka fitness vs Liverpool

Speaking after the game, Mikel Arteta said that Saka felt the opposite hamstring to the one that required surgery last season, but also said it was ‘significant’ for him to come off.

“Bukayo had to come off after sprinting and when he was wrestling with the defender he felt something in his hamstring I think,” he said. “It is the other side [to the previous injury] but it is still not good. I don’t know [how long he will be out].”

So in Saka’s absence, Madueke is a natural replacement to move over to his natural right-wing position normally occupied by Saka.

Madueke played most of his time at Chelsea on the right wing and was far more creative on that flank, so he will have a point to prove if given the opportunity on his stronger foot at Liverpool next week.