Bukayo Saka ruled out of Liverpool clash as Mikel Arteta casts doubt over England return

Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka will miss Sunday’s Premier League encounter against Liverpool, with manager Mikel Arteta also expressing doubts about his availability for England’s upcoming international fixtures as concerns grow over the extent of his thigh injury.

The 25-year-old has been sidelined since suffering the injury during Arsenal’s 2-2 UEFA Champions League draw against Bayern Munich on October 21, when he was forced off after just 10 minutes.

Initial indications suggested Saka could spend up to two months on the sidelines, but Arsenal are awaiting further medical assessments to establish the full extent of the damage and determine how long he will be unavailable.

Arteta confirmed the England international would not recover in time for the trip to Anfield on November 1, while admitting that his participation in next month’s international window was also looking increasingly unlikely.

The Arsenal manager revealed that the club had requested another scan to establish whether the injury had affected the tendon, with the results expected to provide greater clarity on the forward’s recovery timeline.

“He needed another scan to see the amount of damage, and if the tendon was touched and how badly it was touched. After that, we will know more.

“I don’t know about England duty yet. It looks like a no, but we will have to wait and see next week.”

England face anxious wait over Saka

Saka’s potential absence would be a setback for England as they prepare to conclude their Nations League campaign with two challenging fixtures in November.

The Three Lions won three of their four matches during the previous international window and are scheduled to host Croatia on November 12 before travelling to Spain three days later.

England will be hoping to have their influential winger available for the final games of the campaign, although Arteta’s latest comments suggest the national team may have to make alternative plans.

The 24-year-old remains an important figure for England, having established himself as one of the country’s key attacking options in recent years.

However, with Arsenal still awaiting further medical results, there is uncertainty over whether he will recover sufficiently to feature in either fixture.

Arsenal await further medical results

Saka’s injury comes at an important stage of Arsenal’s campaign, with the Gunners preparing for a difficult assignment against Liverpool while also managing their ambitions across domestic and European competitions.

His absence at Anfield will deprive Arteta of one of his most influential attacking players, with the manager now waiting for a clearer picture of when the forward could return.

The additional scan will be crucial in determining the severity of the injury, particularly whether the tendon has been affected.