Bukayo Saka's Potential Return for Epic Showdown against Man City, Confirms Mikel Arteta

Mikel Arteta believes that Bukayo Saka could still play in Arsenal's upcoming match against Manchester City on Super Sunday, despite having to leave the field due to an injury in their recent Champions League loss to Lens. Arteta expressed concern over Saka's condition, describing it as a "muscular" issue.

The 22-year-old has been included in Gareth Southgate's England squad and Arteta confirmed during his press conference that he could possibly play against City, with the match being broadcast on We. Arteta added that they will assess his progress leading up to Sunday.

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Sunday 8th October 4:00pm

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Of course, he had to exit the field, and unfortunately, that is never welcome news. However, we will have to wait and see how he bounces back.

When asked for further information, Arteta reiterated, "He is in contention! That's all I can say. I am not a medical professional. That is the information I received."

Asked about Saka's England call-up and whether he would ask for the forward's minutes to be limited, Arteta said: "I have spoken to Gareth [Southgate] on several occasions.

My responsibility is to report on the news and the current positions of everyone involved. We maintain effective communication.

His role involves making the optimal decisions for the national team, and I have no intention of interfering in that matter.

Arteta also announced that Thomas Partey will be fit to play against City, as he has recovered faster than anticipated from a groin injury. Despite not playing since August, the Ghanaian midfielder served as an unused substitute in the 2-1 defeat to Lens. Arteta confirmed that Partey will be part of the squad to take on Pep Guardiola's team.

"He is ahead of schedule that's for sure," he said. "We couldn't play him on Tuesday because we had a lot of necessities. He will be in the squad [against Manchester City]."

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Despite losing 12 consecutive Premier League games against Manchester City, Arsenal's belief has been boosted by their penalty shootout victory against their rivals in the Community Shield back in August.

"That was a crucial victory for us," he stated. "Defeating City for the title is an achievement that should be highly regarded. It instills us with confidence and a belief in our ability to overcome them."

Arteta dismissed the importance of Arsenal's streak of 12 consecutive losses against City in the Premier League, and he rejected the notion that this particular outcome would determine the course of the season.

"We aren't considering those matches from the past since these players weren't involved," he remarked regarding the previous streak of defeats.

"To stand a chance, we'll need to perform at our absolute best for the entire 100-minute duration."

Apart from the three points, the victory would undoubtedly provide a significant energy and confidence boost. Arteta expects Guardiola to introduce tactical surprises, as demonstrated by his decision to play Bernardo Silva as a left-back in City's previous 3-1 triumph at the Emirates Stadium.

When asked about the last time the City boss surprised him, he expressed his anticipation for Bernardo to be utilized in a distinct manner at left-back. However, his expectations were not met as the City boss followed his usual approach, which involves deploying Bernardo in significant matches against formidable opponents. This ability to alter the team's tactics not only before the game but also during it is a notable characteristic of City.

Arteta: Community Shield win gives us belief

With Rodri still serving his suspension, Man City suffered a defeat in their previous league match against Wolves, potentially granting Arsenal a glimmer of hope that they are facing the reigning champions at an opportune moment.

City's impressive track record of avoiding consecutive losses in league games since 2018 highlights the formidable challenge that the Gunners will face on Sunday. Guardiola expressed his admiration for this achievement by remarking, "We have achieved something extraordinary."

"The manager is so good!" he added, joking.

Guardiola believes Arsenal, the closest challengers to City last season, are one of the big title contenders again this time out.

"Arsenal has made a strong comeback," he stated. "During my younger days at Barcelona, I would often witness Arsenal engaging in intense battles against [Sir Alex Ferguson's] teams, and now they have regained their former glory. The fixture at the Emirates Stadium is undoubtedly one of the most daunting.

"They possess a distinct strategy and truly function as a formidable team," he further explained. "They exerted tremendous effort to become champions, and now they have successfully reclaimed their position."

When asked about Arsenal's strength, he replied, "I cannot say for certain as I am not part of their team or in regular communication with them. I am familiar with Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus, but the rest of the players are unknown to me. However, I must acknowledge that their recruitment has been outstanding, bringing in players of the highest calibre like goalkeeper David Raya, Kai Havertz, and Declan Rice. They have built a formidable team."

As they recover from their respective injuries, City still await the return of John Stones and Kevin De Bruyne.

Guardiola said De Bruyne is improving and will be back "hopefully sooner than expected".

Stones, who was called up by England manager Gareth Southgate, is not fit to play on Sunday.

"Stones is not ready to play," said Guardiola. "Maybe for the national team but not for us."