Arsenal have been dealt a major injury blow in addition to their disappointing defeat to Ligue 1 strugglers Lens in Tuesday’s Champions League encounter.
Gunners superstar Bukayo Saka, who scored in his Champions League debut against PSV Eindhoven, suffered a non-contact injury in the 31st minute, pointing toward his thigh as he hit the turf in France.
The England international was replaced by his Portuguese counterpart Fabio Vieira, handing Arsenal a major scare ahead of a tough run of fixtures this month.
The 22-year-old had been involved in Arsenal’s opening goal, pouncing on an error from the Lens midfield before teeing up Gabriel Jesus to break the deadlock.
Having been forced off just after the half-hour mark, the exciting winger has emerged as a major doubt for the upcoming Premier League clash against Manchester City.
Arsenal undoubtedly felt Saka’s absence after succumbing to a 2-1 defeat at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis despite taking the lead inside the opening quarter of an hour.
Former Arsenal target Elye Wahi was the architect of the Gunners’ downfall in France, bagging a goal and an assist to extend his impressive Champions League form.
While the defeat will certainly leave a bitter taste in Arsenal’s mouth, their primary concern lies in the fitness of arguably their most important player.
Saka’s earlier assist established him as the first player in Europe’s top five leagues to score 5+ goals and register 5+ assists across all competitions.
He limped off in the latter stages of Arsenal’s 4-0 win over Bournemouth in last weekend’s Premier League fixture, with manager Mikel Arteta admitting he took a bad knock.
However, the Englishman subsequently took part in Monday’s training session ahead of retaining his place in the starting line-up for the Lens clash.
After being forced off, Saka headed straight down the tunnel, which doesn’t bode well for his chances of featuring in the mouth-watering contest against Man City.
The collapse in France constitutes Arsenal’s first taste of defeat across all competitions this season, forcing the Gunners to relinquish the top spot in Group B, with Lens now leading by a single point.
