Kieran Gibbs has raised concerns over Bukayo Saka’s minutes under Mikel Arteta at Arsenal.
Gibbs has been speaking to ESPN FC and feels Saka needs to be rested at key moments this season.
Saka has been ever-present for Arsenal under Arteta and has started in every single game for the Gunners this season.
Moreover, the 22-year-old featured in all 38 Premier League games throughout the last two campaigns.
It’s fair to say the England star has become a key player under Arteta and arguably the most important part of this current Arsenal side.
Yet, Kieran Gibbs believes Arteta needs to rest Saka at the right moments this season.
Gibbs on Saka
Speaking on ESPN, Gibbs admitted that Saka’s playing time is the only thing that concerns him about Arsenal at the moment.
“I feel that Saka, I would just like to see him rested a little bit more,” the former Arsenal man said. “I know it’s hard because he’s that good.
“I feel like last season they were comfortably in the lead at times and he’s still on the pitch and I’m just like ‘Give the guy as much rest as you can’.
“This season you’ve got Champions League and I don’t really see anyone that comes in and does a job like Saka in the squad when he does need a rest.
“Inevitably, the longer he keeps playing at this level, the sheer amount of minutes he’s racked up at this age for club and country.
“I know a lot of people are like he’s young, he should be playing as many minutes as he can.
“It doesn’t work like that, he’s racking up some serious yards and that’s the only thing that concerns me at the moment.”
Arsenal have been in the market for a right-sided forward over the past few transfer windows and have missed out on the likes of Raphinha, Mykhaylo Mudryk and Mohamed Kudus.
Arteta is keen to bring in the right player to compete with Saka for a place in Arsenal’s side, which would allow the Spaniard to rest the Hale End Academy product occasionally.
But Gibbs makes a great point that Saka has racked up plenty of minutes in an Arsenal shirt over the past couple of years, while he has also become a key player for England.
Arteta will need to find the right moments to rest Saka this season but Arsenal lack another quality right-sided forward option.