Fan outrage grows: Arteta under scrutiny for risking Saka’s health
Former Aston Villa midfielder Gabby Agbonlahor has spoken out in the aftermath of Bukayo Saka’s injury during the Champions League match against Lens, blaming Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta for the incident. Saka, a vital member of the squad for Arsenal, has been showing signs of fatigue for some weeks but was still given extensive playing time by the club’s management.
Agbonlahor, echoing the thoughts of many fans and analysts, criticized Arteta’s policy of always fielding the best team, which often resulted in Saka being a regular starter owing to a lack of a solid backup. Saka’s injury during the Lens game has sparked the debate over how to manage the young player’s workload and the importance of appropriate rest in order to prevent such incidents.
“Saka is one of our best players, and he has to be protected at all costs,” Agbonlahor said in an interview with Football Insider.
“I think Arteta gets the blame, for me.
“He should’ve been rested for the game against Bournemouth on the weekend.
“No offence, but if you’re Arsenal and you can’t afford to rest him against Bournemouth – then what have you done with your squad?
“This is a squad which includes Vieira, Nelson, Smith Rowe, and Nketiah.
“You can’t play so many games and expect not to get an injury. Even when they’re 3-0 up in the game, he’s still on the pitch.
“Just take him off when you get the second goal. He ended up playing 76 minutes when he was carrying a knock.”
Even if the scans show that Saka’s injury is minor, Agbonlahor pointed out the significance of being careful. He wanted Arteta to consider resting Saka for the following match, putting the player’s long-term well-being ahead of the possibility of a major injury that may have long-term consequences for the individual and the club.
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