Bukayo Saka is an extremely important factor for Arsenal even though he has been out for 3 months due to injury. The English striker is still the Gunners' top scorer and assist leader this season.
Saka has scored 22 goals in 24 appearances in all competitions in total, before suffering a hamstring tear in a 5-1 win over Crystal Palace last December.
Even as Arsenal struggled in the first months of the campaign, Saka has achieved the best numbers of his career. An average of 1.08 goals per 90 minutes makes Saka second only to Mohamed Salah among Premier League players this season.
The statistics are a reminder of how much Arsenal miss the 23-year-old. The Gunners fans will be delighted when Saka reveals his comeback on social media with a radiant smile during the training session.
Is Bukayo Saka's injury a turning point?
Saka is not the only Arsenal attacking player out this season. Martin Odegaard was out for three months with an ankle injury last September. Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz also had to end their campaign with knee injuries in January and February. Gabriel Martinelli has just returned from a hamstring injury.
In total, injuries have caused heavy losses for coach Mikel Arteta's team. But there is no doubt that Saka's injury is the one with the biggest impact. After a 5-1 win over Palace at Selhurst Park, Arsenal have narrowed the gap with Liverpool to 3 points. However, the gap has widened to 12 points since Saka's absence.
The England international has scored or assisted 40% of Arsenal's goals before the injury. His efficiency has reached its highest level under Arteta and highlighted his great influence at the Emirates.
Arteta has a squad of many key players but Saka is certainly at the top of this list as he is improving.
Since Arteta's first game in charge of the Gunners in December 2019, Saka has played, scored and assisted more than any other Arsenal player.
The 23-year-old also ranked highest among his teammates in terms of shots and chances created during that time. Arsenal have declined significantly in attack when Saka is out, perhaps most notably from set pieces.
Bukayo Saka still plays on the right wing?
Of course, Saka's return is not a comprehensive solution to Arsenal's problems this season. Maybe it is too late to save their title hopes given the big gap with leaders Liverpool. However, Saka's return will hold the key to Arsenal's hopes for a strong end.
Of course, it will largely depend on how quickly Saka can regain his form. His injury comes after four consecutive seasons in almost every Arsenal game. The three-month absence has left Saka and Arsenal in a strange environment.
Previously, the player born in 2001 had never been out of action for more than a few weeks, so it is difficult to predict when he will regain his form. However, the "Gunners" are determined not to rush to avoid Saka's injury recurring.
As expected, Arsenal's second leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid on 17 April could mark Saka's return. The first leg a week ago was considered too early for this striker. What seems certain is that when he returns, he will take on his usual role on the right wing of Arsenal's attack.
Saka was used by Arteta as a left-back in his first months in charge and continued to play on the left wing in the 2020-2021 campaign. However, he has since become a regular player on the right wing.
Arteta said in December last year, before Saka was injured, that he was very open to the idea of keeping him in midfield for the future. But given Saka's proven performance in a regular position, his immediate future is certainly on the right flank.
"Hopefully Bukayo Saka will do more with the ball in his feet than he did. He's getting closer, he's improving and he's making very good progress. Let's see when we start putting him in the team, how he reacts and how quickly he can recover," said Arteta.
