Saka Excluded from International Duty in October

Arsenal’s talented winger, Bukayo Saka, will miss international duty in October due to an injury setback. The young English international has been omitted from the squad following his absence in Arsenal’s recent victory over Manchester City.

The Football Association (FA) has officially confirmed that the 22-year-old won’t be available for selection after England’s medical team assessed his condition. Arsenal’s head coach, Mikel Arteta, also confirmed that Saka’s recovery will take some time, stating, “No, he will not make it. He has not trained for a single session.”

Saka’s absence in Sunday’s match marked the end of an impressive streak in which he had featured in 87 consecutive Premier League games. Hamstring troubles had plagued him in recent weeks, with his early exit in Arsenal’s 2-1 Champions League defeat against Lens last Tuesday and his substitution in the previous weekend’s win over Bournemouth.

Despite England having an opportunity to secure qualification for the upcoming European Championship during this international break, manager Gareth Southgate emphasized the importance of Saka’s well-being and ruled out taking any risks with the young star. Southgate stated, “We’ve got the responsibility of qualifying for the country, but I’ve been a player. I’ve never taken a risk on a player’s physical well-being, and nor would I. They [Premier League clubs] trust us to make decisions that are in the best interest of the players’ long-term health whenever possible.”