Mikel Arteta reveals why he took Bukayo Saka off against Port Vale as Arsenal star suffers injury scare in Carabao Cup win

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. 

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.

Speaking on Saka to Sky Sports, 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."

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.

All roads now lead to Sunday’s clash with Eddie Howe’s Newcastle, a side brimming with confidence after a ruthless cup win over Bradford City. St James’ Park is a fortress on nights like this, and Arteta will need their best players fully fit if they’re to get the three points and keep the pressure on leaders Liverpool, who have already stolen a march in the title chase following a perfect start to their Premier League campaign.