Mikel Arteta revealed why he substituted Bukayo Saka against Port Vale as the Arsenal star suffered a fresh injury scare during the Carabao Cup win. The Gunners marched into the next round of the domestic cup competition with a late 2–0 victory over their lower-league opposition, but the sight of the England international hobbling after a bruising challenge left fans concerned.

Gunners win but hearts skip a beat

The Gunners got off to the perfect start with new signing Eberechi Eze bagging his maiden strike for the club just eight minutes in. Despite dominating possession, Arsenal struggled to kill the game off until the dying minutes, when the contest was finally sealed with a goal from Leandro Trossard in the 86th minute. Saka looked sharp on the flank, linking up well in attack, but the big talking point came when he crumpled under a heavy challenge shortly after the restart. After some treatment, he continued, but Arteta wasted little time in taking him off. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportAnother injury setback for Saka?

Saka, only just back from a hamstring injury that sidelined him for three matches, looked in pain before being replaced on 63 minutes with 15-year-old prodigy Max Dowman. However, after the match, Arteta reassured fans that his talisman had not suffered a fresh blow and the plan had always been to give Saka just an hour on the pitch as part of his careful comeback programme.

Arteta calms the panic

Speaking on Saka to Arteta said: "Yeah, it was always the plan. The maximum we wanted him to play was 60 minutes; there is a lot of games coming up. He is coming back from an important injury, and again we need to manage his load. He will be around for the weekend, yes."

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Injury room still crowded

While Arteta can breathe easier over Saka, the treatment table at London Colney remains crowded. William Saliba featured for the second time in a week after recovering from an ankle knock, while Martin Odegaard continues his rehabilitation from a shoulder injury. Adding to the woes, Noni Madueke, who arrived from Chelsea to bolster the wide options, has now been ruled out for up to two months with a knee issue. That absence stretches Arsenal’s resources at a time when the fixtures are piling up.