Bukayo Saka will not play against Manchester City on Sunday, Mikel Arteta said, ruling the Arsenal winger out of a game that could shape the Premier League title race. The 24-year-old has been sidelined by an Achilles problem and has not played since Arsenal’s 2-0 Carabao Cup final defeat by City on March 22.
Arteta’s update came after Saka missed Arsenal’s losses against Southampton and Bournemouth and both legs of the Champions League quarter-final against Sporting CP. The Spain manager said before the second leg that he hoped Saka could return in days not weeks, but on April 14 said the forward had been carrying the Achilles issue for a while and was only “just starting to do some stuff,” adding that he was not available at the moment.
The loss of Saka matters because he has been one of Arsenal’s most productive players this season, with nine goals and seven assists in all competitions. He also withdrew from the England squad in March because of the injury, underlining how long the problem has lingered and how carefully Arsenal are trying to handle it.
Arteta has made it clear the club’s approach is about more than getting Saka back for one match. He said Arsenal are trying to protect the player first of all and then help him perform as well as he possibly can, a balance that has been harder to strike after a stop-start run of injuries. Saka tore his hamstring in December 2024 and missed 101 days of action before returning on April 1, 2025, then sustained another hamstring injury in August 2025 and missed three games.
There is also a selection issue for Sunday beyond Saka. Noni Madueke was forced off during the second half of Wednesday’s draw with Sporting, and Arteta said a late decision would be made on him before the trip to the Etihad. The manager also said 16-year-old Max Dowman could be selected to start on the right if needed.
Arsenal go into the match six points clear of Manchester City, although City have a game in hand. That leaves Arteta with a sharp choice: push hard in a title race that can narrow quickly, or keep managing one of his most important attackers with the season still in its final stretch. “He will be ready,” he said of Saka, but Sunday will come too soon.
