Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Bukayo Saka is making strong progress in his recovery, and Arsenal are hopeful he will return from injury a few weeks after the March international break.
With Gabriel Martinelli recently back in action, attention now shifts fully to Saka as Arsenal’s remaining major injury concern. Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz, and Takehiro Tomiyasu are all out for the rest of the season, leaving fans eager for Saka’s return to give the team a crucial boost in the final stretch. Speaking after Arsenal’s 1-1 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford, Arteta shared an optimistic update, saying Saka is “progressing really well” and is determined to get back on the pitch. “He’s really willing, as you’d expect — so we’re hopeful that in a few weeks he’ll be ready,” Arteta said, adding that Saka’s condition will be reassessed following the international break.
Meanwhile, Martinelli, who recently made a short appearance against United, gradually increased his playing time, coming on for 45 minutes against PSV as a substitute for Kieran Tierney. But it was the player operating on the opposite wing who really caught the eye.
Raheem Sterling, on loan from Chelsea, has only scored once this season — back in September during a League Cup match against Bolton — across 23 appearances. Yet, in Wednesday’s game, he doubled his assist tally in just 30 minutes. He first won the ball from Tyrell Malacia and set up Oleksandr Zinchenko for an early chance. Later, he surged past defenders down the right wing, delivering a pinpoint cross for Declan Rice to score.
Though Sterling picked up a late yellow card — ruling him out of Arsenal’s Champions League quarter-final first leg against Real Madrid at the Emirates — this suspension could actually benefit Arsenal. With Sterling unavailable for that midweek clash, Arteta may be more inclined to give him significant Premier League minutes after the break, knowing he’ll get a rest during the European tie.
This scenario also reduces the urgency to bring Saka back too quickly for games against Everton and Fulham. Instead, Saka can be gradually eased in, following a similar path to Martinelli, to be fully fit for the crucial Real Madrid match — avoiding the risk of rushing him back out of necessity, especially now that Sterling has shown he’s capable of stepping up.