Arsenal have lost two titles, the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup, recently, and to make it worse, the Premier League table toppers will be without their key player heading into the UEFA Champions League clash.
The Gunners winger Bukayo Saka will miss Tuesday's UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg against Sporting CP after manager Mikel Arteta confirmed the England international has not travelled with the squad.
Arsenal misses Bukayo Saka for crucial UCL clash vs Sporting CP
Arteta revealed the news during his pre-match press conference on Monday, stating that Saka and defender Jurrien Timber haven't travelled and are not ready yet. He said:
"They're having trouble.”
The Arsenal boss added:
"They're not ready yet. Let's see. Hopefully, they're going to be ready for the weekend if everything goes well.”
The duo are expected to be assessed for a potential return this weekend in the Premier League, but will sit out the away fixture at the Jose Alvalade Stadium. Saka, who withdrew from England duty during the recent international break with a minor knock and missed Saturday's FA Cup defeat to Southampton, was also absent from Arsenal's final training sessions.
The absence represents a significant setback for the Gunners, who rely heavily on Saka's creativity and goal threat on the right flank. With the tie finely balanced, Arteta must now reshuffle his attack, potentially turning to options like Leandro Trossard, who has returned to training alongside Declan Rice and Gabriel Magalhaes.
Meanwhile, Sporting CP, buoyed by playing at home, will look to exploit the gap left by one of the Premier League's most influential attackers. Arsenal travel to Portugal aiming to secure a positive result ahead of the second leg at the Emirates Stadium. While the Gunners have shown resilience amid recent injury concerns, Saka's unavailability adds pressure on the squad to deliver in a competition.
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