‘I really don’t know’: £104,000-a-week Arsenal man is not happy

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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has claimed that Bukayo Saka could be a doubt for the game with Aston Villa on Friday. The Gunners manager spoke to Football London after last night’s 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace.

Saka was forced off at half-time. He was on the wrong end of a ferocious volley from James McArthur. Remarkably, neither Mike Dean nor VAR deemed the robust incident as a red card.

McArthur carried on, although Arsenal star Saka couldn’t. He was replaced by Albert Sambi Lokonga at the break as the Gunners threw away their one-goal advantage.

Clearly the talented England international is important to Arsenal. Saka’s thigh was heavily strapped with an ice pack during the second half and Arteta now faces an anxious wait.

He told Football London: “I really don’t know (how bad it is). See how it evolves. He could not continue and he’s a boy who’s pretty tough and he wants to keep playing and he could not carry on. We have a quick turnaround for the next game so we’ll see how it evolves.”

Saka has been a regular in the Arsenal team this season. He was brilliant during a recent game against Tottenham, scoring and creating an assist during a 3-1 victory.

He is still striving for consistency, although it’s fair to say that Arsenal struggled when he went off the field against their London rivals last night.

Integral: Arteta needs Saka fit for Arsenal

Arteta collects £104,000-a-week from Arsenal. His £5 million-per-year salary is among the highest in the Premier League and it’s fair to say he needs a consistent run of victories.

If he is to gain any consistency he could do without niggling injuries to his star players. That includes Saka and the hope will be that he can play on Friday night against Villa.

Over the last 12 months, Saka has really come of age. He starred for England at Euro 2020 and his stock will continue to rise in the coming years.

Arteta needs his best players to stay fit and he will have everything crossed that Saka is fit to play on Friday night.