Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed a big injury blow to his team ahead of Wednesday’s Carabao Cup fixture against Brentford. The Gunners’s boss revealed that forward Bukayo Saka will be out of the game due to a foot injury, which he said was not serious but could keep him out of the team even for the weekend Premier League fixture against Bournemouth.

Bukayo Saka has been instrumental in Arsenal’s start to this season, scoring four goals and making three assists in seven matches played in all competitions and was even instrumental in the two goals the Gunners scored in a 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur in the North London derby on Sunday.

The England forward was replaced by Emile Smith Rowe in the final stages of Sunday’s draw, adding to Arsenal’s growing injury list that has Leandro Trossard, Jurrien Timber, and Thomas Partey, amongst others.

“He was limping quite badly after the match. We had to get him off the field, which is never a good sign. It’s true that they play with the national teams, and they’re coming from a season where they had a World Cup, and some players played 60-odd games; we’ve been unlucky. Jurrien, for example, was due to other reasons, while Bukayo was because someone stepped on him. There are some traumatic injuries; others are more muscular. We try to find the ways to avoid them, but they’re a part of football.” said Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta.

Arteta went ahead to reveal that goalkeeper David Raya is eligible to face his parent’s club, Brentford. Spanish goalkeeper David Raya joined Arsenal on loan from Brentford before the end of the summer transfer window and has, in the last two games, started ahead of Aaron Ramsdale. Arsenal have the option to sign him on a permanent deal at the end of his loan move to Arsenal.

Daniel Ademiju Idowu