Bukayo Saka’s return date for Arsenal revealed

Bukayo Saka’s return date for Arsenal revealed

Bukayo Saka has returned to full training and is on the cusp of making his much-anticipated comeback for Arsenal according to multiple reports.

The Gunners have been without their attacking talisman since he limped off clutching his hamstring against Crystal Palace in December. Saka had never before missed more than ten games in a single season through injury, yet he has been sidelined for the past 20 Arsenal fixtures.

However, the absence which has stretched beyond 100 consecutive days could be concluded as soon as Tuesday night.

Saka posted a picture of himself back in training on Thursday next to the caption: “Hello again”. BBC Sport reported that Arsenal’s star winger could be included in the matchday squad for a Premier League home game against Fulham on Tuesday, 1 April.

Arsenal travel to Everton’s Merseyside stadium for the final time on the following Saturday (5 April) before hosting Real Madrid in the first leg of a highly anticipated Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday, 8 April. Fabrizio Romano claimed that Saka will be “ready” to face the Spanish giants in that European tie.

Mikel Arteta’s side have undoubtedly struggled in Saka’s absence. When the 23-year-old was forced off against Palace before Christmas, Arsenal were six points adrift of league-leading Liverpool, strongly placed in the first phase of the Champions League and still involved in both domestic cup competitions.

Over the subsequent three months, this Saka-less iteration were dumped out of the Carabao Cup by Newcastle United before suffering the same fate in the FA Cup at the hands of Manchester United five days later. The gap to Liverpool is now an effectively insurmountable 12 points, leaving Europe’s premier club competition as the only thing left to play for. More than a fifth of Arsenal’s goals during this spell came in one game against PSV Eindhoven.

Injuries to Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz haven’t helped Arsenal’s plight in Saka’s absence. While the club’s only natural centre-forwards won’t return to action this term, Gabriel Martinelli is fit once again and could soon be joined by a player the Gunners have so dearly missed.