Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has suggested he won’t be resting Bukayo Saka for their upcoming Premier League games as they prepare for their Champions League semifinal showdown against Paris Saint-Germain.
The north London club’s 5-1 aggregate win over holders Real Madrid in the quarterfinal has raised hopes of the club winning the competition for the first time in their history.
However their form in Europe hasn’t translated on to their domestic campaign, with Mikel Arteta’s side trailing leaders Liverpool by 13 points with five games to go. The Merseyside club could be crowned champions on Wednesday if Arsenal lose to Crystal Palace.
Despite the Premier League title out of their grasp, Arteta remains reluctant to rest his talisman Saka, who has only recently returned from an injury layoff that kept him out for three months.
“We cannot think in those terms, when the players are fit and available and want to play, they have to play,” Arteta told a news conference on Wednesday.
“They are at their best when they are playing and they have consistency in their performances and physically and emotionally they are good. They have the rhythm and that is when they are at their best.
“If they are not available, there is no discussion. If they are not in a good condition to perform we are not going to play them. But if they are we will play them.”
Saka has 25 goal contributions across 30 appearances in all competitions this season. He starred in Arsenal’s 2-1 win at the Bernabéu last week, and also impressed in the 4-0 win at Ipswich Town on the weekend.
At Portman Road, Saka received a hefty challenge from Leif Davis in the first half that saw the defender sent off.
When asked on if he’s fit to play Palace, Arteta said: “We have to wait and see now how he reacts after the [training] session, but it’s nothing too serious.
“If we want to [select him], I think we’ll have a good chance to play tomorrow.”
However, Arteta’s diagnosis on Jorginho was more bleak. The Italy international went off in the draw to Brentford earlier this month with a suspected rib injury.
“I think Jorginho will be out for a few weeks,” he said.
“I hope so, but I’m not certain [if he will play again this season]. We have to see how he evolves in the next few days,” he added.
