With Paris Saint-Germain looming in the Champions League semifinals and the Premier League title slipping away, Mikel Arteta is refusing to wrap Bukayo Saka in cotton wool, insisting his star winger must keep playing while fit and firing.
Arsenal’s emphatic 5-1 aggregate win over reigning champions Real Madrid has electrified the Emirates faithful and reignited dreams of a first-ever Champions League triumph. But on the home front, reality bites. The Gunners sit 13 points adrift of Liverpool with just five league games left, leaving their domestic hopes hanging by a thread.
Despite the dwindling title race and Saka’s recent return from a three-month injury absence, Arteta remains firm on keeping his key man involved. “We cannot think in those terms,” he said. “When the players are fit and available and want to play, they have to play.”
Saka’s influence is undeniable. With 25 goal contributions in 30 games this season, the 22-year-old has been central to Arsenal’s European run. He was instrumental in the 2-1 win at the Bernabéu and shone again in a dominant 4-0 victory at Ipswich, where he also endured a crunching challenge from Leif Davis that saw the defender dismissed.
Arteta confirmed Saka was being monitored ahead of the Palace match: “We have to wait and see now how he reacts after the session, but it’s nothing too serious.”
If Arsenal fall to Palace and Liverpool win, the title could be mathematically out of reach by midweek. But with PSG on the horizon, Arteta’s calculated risk is clear; keep rhythm, keep sharpness, and ride momentum into Europe’s biggest stage.
