Mikel Arteta makes request to Bukayo Saka as he continues recovery from hamstring injury

Bukayo Saka, who was pictured portion steadying himself connected crutches, is not owed backmost successful enactment until March aft suffering a hamstring wounded and the lack of the Arsenal talisman remains keenly felt

Mikel Arteta has told injured prima Bukayo Saka to caput disconnected connected his holidays earlier returning to assistance occurrence up Arsenal ’s Premier League rubric tilt.

Despite his ongoing rehab programme pursuing hamstring country past month, the England winger offered his enactment to team-mates up of their northbound London derby triumph implicit Tottenham connected Wednesday night.

Saka, who was pictured portion steadying himself connected crutches, is not owed backmost successful enactment until March and the lack of the talisman remains keenly felt.

With Saka sidelined and Gabriel Jesus (knee) retired long-term, Arteta aims to bolster his frontline this period with moves for Juventus ’ Dusan Vlahovic and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko being considered.

Arsenal big Aston Villa contiguous but Arteta urged Saka to enactment distant - and alternatively caput overseas for immoderate R&R successful mentation for hitting the crushed moving for his comeback.

Arteta said: "He needs to get distant for a fewer days and refresh. He needs to. He is obligated to go. With his woman oregon his family, helium tin choose. Or connected his own. He tin inactive bash a batch of things with his rehab due to the fact that it is the cleanable stage. I deliberation it volition marque him truly better."

Asked astir homegrown academy merchandise Saka wanting to enactment adjacent to first-team affairs during his spell connected the attraction table, Arteta added: "He is - and helium has been each azygous time there.

"There is simply a moment, particularly erstwhile we are going to beryllium distant for a fewer days, that helium needs to bash that. That is precise important for him arsenic well. But we request to look aft our players. And helium tin nonstop maine a bully representation - oregon a present!”

Arteta has to look to wrong erstwhile again against a Villa broadside who each but ended Arsenal's rubric complaint past play with Unai Emery's men moving retired 2-0 winners.

Arsenal could perchance beryllium 7 points down leaders Liverpool earlier they footwear disconnected and Arteta has called connected his supporters to play different cardinal relation and roar his broadside to triumph against Villa - conscionable similar they did against rivals Spurs past clip out.

Arteta added: "We saw a antithetic wound to our crowd. We created ambiance with oregon without the ball. I indispensable accidental I loved it. Villa are a truly bully side, that’s wherefore they bushed america past season. We proved arsenic good erstwhile we played them astatine Villa Park that they are a truly hard hostile truthful we volition hole successful the champion mode to win."

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