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Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka Mike Egerton/PA

Setback to Arsenal's title hopes as star player Saka out for more than two months

Saka will not return until March after tearing his right hamstring.

BUKAYO SAKA IS likely to be sidelined until at least March following surgery on his hamstring, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has revealed.

Arsenal moved back up to second in the Premier League table with a 1-0 victory over Ipswich at the Emirates – their first fixture without Saka after the England winger tore his right hamstring in a 5-1 win against Crystal Palace last weekend.

Prior to Friday’s fixture, Arteta said Saka, 23, would be sidelined for “many weeks”, but speaking in the moments after his side saw out a win that keeps the pressure on leaders Liverpool, Arteta afforded a grizzlier timeframe for his star man.

“He has had a procedure and everything went well, but unfortunately he will be out for many, many weeks,” said Arteta.

“It will be more than two months. I don’t know exactly how much longer. It will depend on how the scar tissue starts to heal, the first week or so, and the mobility of that. It is very difficult to say.

“The replacement of Bukayo is going to be the team. There were moments where it flowed well tonight and moments where you could see there is still work to do. But I am certain that we are going to do that. We have to rely on the team and not the individual.”

The length of Saka’s injury will come as a significant blow to Arteta, who is bidding to oversee Arsenal’s first Premier League title in two decades.

In Saka’s absence, and in the Gunners’ final fixture of 2024, Kai Havertz scored the game’s sole goal midway through the opening period.

Gabriel, Havertz and Martin Odegaard all spurned chances to increase Arsenal’s lead in the second period, but their victory takes them back to within six points of leaders Liverpool – having played one match more than the Reds – and a point clear of Chelsea following their Boxing Day defeat to Fulham.

Arteta continued: “I am very happy with the victory and the clean sheet and big parts of the game. They are difficult opposition and we are playing so many games.

“You see that teams are winning from small margins. Today we could have made that margin bigger but we didn’t and we held our nerve in the last few minutes to defend well.

“We should have scored more. We had big openings in the second half, the big header of Gabriel from one yard, but the team was consistent and conceded nothing and that is something that will always give us the chance to win games.”

Arsenal will next be in action against Brentford on New Year’s Day. Ipswich, who remain second from bottom, three points away from safety, host Chelsea on Monday night.

Ipswich suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat at home to Newcastle in the fixture which preceded their trip to the Emirates, and this marked their fifth loss from six games.

“It was a good step back in the right direction for us,” said boss Kieran McKenna. “We didn’t hit our levels against Newcastle. We knew today we had to be resilient and we did that.”

 

Written by Press Association and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.

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    Mute Dan The Man
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    Dec 28th 2024, 1:39 PM

    Nobody cared when Salah was missing for over two months last season along with half their team from Jan to end March. Poor Arsenal get an injury and it’s the end of the world. Deal with it. Scraping by a pathetic Ipswich isn’t very convincing

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    Mute marklars81
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    Dec 28th 2024, 2:59 PM

    @Dan The Man: You sound worried.

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    Mute Tasty k
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    Dec 28th 2024, 3:21 PM

    @Basildon Joe: Liverpool are walking away with the league title.

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    Mute Don't Forget
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    Dec 28th 2024, 4:37 PM

    @Basildon Joe: You have about 19 accounts trying to stir up things in every comment section on this place. The only person taking anything is you with oxygen.

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    Mute Deano74
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    Dec 29th 2024, 6:09 PM

    @Basildon Joe: your also s€um.

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    Mute Trump24
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    Dec 28th 2024, 12:37 PM

    Makes no difference it like they were going to win the league anyway

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    Mute Quinny
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    Dec 28th 2024, 2:49 PM

    You’ll never walk alone , Manchester is Blue , Glory Glory Man Utd , Coe Palmer is the new Messiah , The Premier is the best in the world, that’s all we hear from the Irish Patriot’s on here everyday ….. Very intelligent and interesting people you are !! See you next Tuesday lads…

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    Mute Mick O'K
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    Dec 28th 2024, 2:51 PM

    @Quinny: I’d imagine you don’t get invited to many parties

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    Mute Joe Beirne
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    Dec 28th 2024, 3:06 PM

    @Mick O’K: I dunno who Coe Palmer is or what this has to do with Irish patriotism?

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    Mute Mick O'K
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    Dec 28th 2024, 3:33 PM

    @Joe Beirne: that’s ok Joe, you not knowing stuff doesn’t usually stop you from posting

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    Mute Quinny
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    Dec 28th 2024, 3:34 PM

    @Mick O’K: I’ve never heard that one before, you’re describing yourself and you know it lol

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    Mute Mick O'K
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    Dec 28th 2024, 4:54 PM

    @Quinny: “lol” at the end of a comment says so very much about you pal

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    Mute Quinny
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    Dec 28th 2024, 6:31 PM

    @Mick O’K: Enjoy your many many parties ;)

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    Mute Quinny
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    Dec 29th 2024, 7:59 AM

    @james rowan: I’ve one account, don’t give up your day job , because a detective, you’re definitely not.

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    Mute Paul Hayes
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    Dec 29th 2024, 9:10 AM

    There’s enough in the squad to still finish in the top two & have a real chance of champions league. They give nothing away so maybe a run of 6 wins on the spin and we’ll see where that puts them . I have a feeling that the game at Anfield will be a decider.

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