Bukayo Saka sends message to Arsenal fans after undergoing surgery

Yesterday at 02:19 PM

Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka has vowed to come back stronger after undergoing surgery on his hamstring injury.

The 23-year-old was forced off during the first half of Arsenal’s 5-1 win against Crystal Palace on December 21 and missed his side’s 1-0 victory at home to Ipswich Town on Friday night.

Arteta initially ruled Saka out for ‘many weeks’ but the Arsenal manager revealed after his side’s win against Ipswich that the winger has undergone surgery.

On Saturday evening, Saka posted a picture of himself in a hospital bed along with the message: ‘The majority see obstacles, but few see the opportunities. Recovery has begun and I'm coming back stronger!

‘Thank you all for your messages #GodsPlan.’

Saka is not expected to return until March at the earliest and Arteta is already urging caution over the England international’s rehab phase.

'I would prefer to leave that with the doctor or himself but he had a procedure, everything went well but unfortunately he will be out for many, many weeks,’ Arteta said on Friday.

When asked for a more definitive timeline on Saka's return, Arteta said: 'I said many weeks so I think it will be more than two months.

'I don't know exactly how much longer, it depends on how the scar tissue starts to heal, the first week or so, mobility of that, let's see, very difficult to say.'

Arteta also insisted that he does not expect an Arsenal player to directly replace Saka’s attacking output.

'It's always important because as well with Bukayo it doesn't mean that we're going to score three or four goals every game,' Arteta said.

'We have to rely on the team, that's the biggest strength of us, we never rely on individuals scoring 25, 30 goals and we've managed to be very, very competitive still and we're going to manage to do that.

'As I said, I think the replacement of B [Saka] is going to be the team. That unit in particular, having minutes together and asking different things, there were moments that flowed really well, there were moments where we can still have some work to do there and improve it and adapt to the qualities of the individuals. I'm certain we're going to do that.'

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