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– Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta says he hopes the injury sustained by Bukayo Saka in Sunday’s win over Nottingham Forest will not threaten the player’s World Cup participation with England.
– Saka was forced off during Arsenal’s 5-0 victory after being tackled by Forest full-back Renan Lodi.
– The 21-year-old, England’s men’s player of the year, is expected to be a part of Gareth Southgate’s squad for Qatar.
Also Read: Five-star Arsenal thump Forest to go back to the top of the Premier League
– “Hopefully not,” Arteta said when asked if Saka was a World Cup doubt.
– “It was a bad kick. Right from the beginning he was limping, but I don’t see any further than that. Let’s see how he is in the next couple of days.
– “He got kicked a few times and he wasn’t comfortable.”
– England’s first World Cup fixture is against Iran on Monday, 21 November.
– Saka, who has scored four goals in 20 England caps, was tackled heavily by Lodi in the opening minute against Forest.
– He recovered to set up Gabriel Martinelli’s opening goal but twice required treatment before being withdrawn after 27 minutes.
– Saka was replaced by Reiss Nelson, who marked his first Arsenal appearance since August 2021 with two goals and an assist.
– Nelson has spent time on loan at Hoffenheim and Feyenoord since making his Arsenal debut in 2017 and Arteta praised the 22-year-old for capitalising on a rare opportunity to shine.
– “I think not only me but all his team-mates, all the staff are so happy for him because he is a kid that is really changing, he’s really evolving, he’s really maturing,” said Arteta.
– “He’s showing every day how much he wants it and today he had the opportunity and he did extremely well because it helped us win the game.”
– Asked how Nelson has changed, Arteta added: “How mature he is, how focused he is in his profession.
– “The way he talks, the way he reflects, the way he respects decisions, the way he is challenging everybody every single day.
– “He is a joy of a kid. We all want him to be successful and do well. What he has done today for the team is something he really merits.”
– Victory returned Arsenal to the top of the Premier League table, two points above Manchester City.
– “It is great to be there, we knew we had a difficult game ahead of us,” Arteta said.
– “It is always difficult to win in this league and we knew it was a tricky game after travelling [for the Europa League in midweek]. We played really well and scored some fantastic goals.”
"He tried but he could not carry on" ❌
Mikel Arteta speaks about Bukayo Saka's injury against Nottingham Forest 💬 pic.twitter.com/d9iONJ1RfK
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 30, 2022
