Mikel Arteta expressed concern over the injuries that Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice sustained following Arsenal’s 1-1 draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, raising worries for both the Gunners and England ahead of the international break.
Arsenal took the lead in the 60th minute through Gabriel Martinelli, who beat Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez at his near post.
However, Chelsea equalised 10 minutes later as Pedro Neto fired a low shot past Arsenal’s David Raya. Despite pushing for a second, Arsenal’s efforts were dampened by injury concerns for key players.
Saka appeared in discomfort after trying to send a cross into the box, only for Sanchez to catch the ball. The winger limped off the pitch and was replaced by Gabriel Jesus. The injury followed a late challenge by Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella, which saw the left-back booked for his tackle on Saka.
Earlier in the match, Declan Rice was also substituted, with Mikel Merino replacing the England midfielder. Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Arteta said the signs worried both players. “They don’t look perfect, to be fair,” he said when asked about their injuries. While he couldn’t confirm the extent of the injuries, he added, “They both couldn’t finish the game, so not good.”
With the international break approaching, Arteta’s primary focus is to get his squad back to full fitness. “My biggest thing is physically getting everybody at their best,” he said. “We have players who cannot play more than 60 minutes and are struggling. I want to get fully fit in the international break, and with that, I am confident we will have a great season.”
However, there was some positive injury news for Arteta, as captain Martin Ødegaard returned to the starting XI for the first time since August. Ødegaard sidelined with an ankle injury, played a crucial role in Arsenal’s performance. Arteta praised the Norwegian’s leadership and character, saying, “To be able to play at this level in the Premier League tells you how much he looks after himself.”
Arteta acknowledged his team’s challenges, with frequent changes to the lineup due to injuries. “Every day we’ve had to change something big… normally the team would go down, but this team has unbelievable energy and spirit to play,” he said. Despite ongoing injury problems, Arteta remains confident in his team’s resilience and potential for the rest of the season.
