Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka has now opened up about one challenge Mikel Arteta set for him amid hectic fixture schedule.
Bukayo Saka has played a huge amount of football for Arsenal already this season.
Mikel Arteta is extremely reliant upon the Hale End academy graduate, who is the Gunners’ most potent attacking force. Ahead of this afternoon’s all-important North London derby clash against Tottenham Hotspur, Saka has already made 44 appearances across all competitions this season, and has racked up 18 goals and 14 assists.
The 22-year-old is a talismanic figure at the Emirates Stadium, and shoulders plenty of responsibility. The fact that, despite his relatively young age, he has already made over 200 first-team appearances for the club, and has also amassed 32 senior England caps, demonstrates just how consistent and impressive has has already proven himself to be.
The concerns about Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka
However, there are certainly concerns that Saka plays too much football. Arsenal are thought to be on the hunt for a new winger who can offer real support and cover for the England man. There is no other player in the Gunners’ squad who can replicate Saka’s tactical function in the side, as a left-footed right-winger.
Reiss Nelson is probably the most natural back-up option for Saka currently on the books at Arsenal, but Arteta clearly lacks faith in the 24-year-old, as evidenced by the fact that he has only handed him one Premier League start all season.
On top of the physical toll that so much game time is exerting on his body, Saka is often the target of some rough treatment on the pitch. He is fouled regularly, as opposition defenders resort to hacking him down as their only means of stopping him.
Arsenal have already raised an issue with the PGMOL over the treatment that Saka is routinely subject to. The combination of the amount of football he has played so early in his career, and the number of fouls he has been on the receiving end of, raises a worry that he could struggle physically in the future.
Bukayo Saka reveals Mikel Arteta demands
However, Saka has now opened up about Arteta’s thoughts on the matter of his game time. The Spanish coach is insistent that in order to be considered amongst the very best players in the game, the attacker needs to play as often as possible.
As quoted by The Telegraph, Saka said “he told me the elite players all do it. If I want to get to that level I have to be ready to play that many games, and try to help my team win each of those games as well. They are big numbers but they are achievable. You see the best players in the world do it and I believe I can do it, as well.”
READ MORE: Everything to know about Arsenal ace Bukayo Saka from his age, parents and house