England confirm Bukayo Saka decision following injury assessment
Posted By Sammy Legals
October 9, 2023
7:10 pm
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England have announced that Bukayo Saka has withdrawn from Gareth Southgate’s squad to face Australia and Italy this month due to injury.
The winger picked up an injury in Arsenal’s 2-1 loss to Lens in the Champions League last Tuesday and was expected to sit out Sunday’s Premier League encounter with title rivals Manchester City.
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta hinted in the lead up to that clash that Saka was surprisingly still in contention to play, but the Spaniard eventually decided against naming him in his matchday squad for their 1-0 win.
In his post-match press conference, Arteta insisted Saka would not join up with the England team for the October internationals.
“No, he will not make it. He has not trained for a single session. He is not available to play football at the moment,” Arteta said.
The Evening Standard reported on Monday morning that the FA were still expecting Saka to arrive at St George’s Park to assess his injury for themselves.
However, they have now confirmed that Saka has been sent home again following their own medical checks.