England expect Saka to report for duty despite injury claim

Despite Mikel Arteta insisting Bukayo Saka cannot play football right now, the FA expects the winger to report for England duty.

The Football Association (FA) is anticipating the inclusion of Bukayo Saka in England’s squad for the upcoming international break.

Saka’s remarkable run of 87 consecutive Premier League appearances ended on Sunday due to a slight hamstring injury. Yet, despite his absence, Arsenal secured a 1-0 victory over Manchester City. Gabriel Martinelli scored the game’s only goal at the Emirates Stadium.

Mikel Arteta later announced Saka’s unavailability for the upcoming international fixtures.

“He hasn’t had a single training session, so he will be out,” the Arsenal manager said. “He’s not available to play football at the moment.”

The FA still expects Saka to report to the national team though. The Evening Standard has reported the FA is in talks with Arsenal over the winger. While he may be nursing an injury, there’s still a possibility that he will spend time with the England squad.

Arsenal are also engaged in conversations with Belgium about Leandro Trossard. The forward suffered a hamstring problem on Sunday. This is what prompted Arteta to replace him with Martinelli at half-time.

William Saliba, on the other hand, has withdrawn from France. The Gunners defender will use the time to recover from a toe injury. Chelsea’s Axel Disasi has taken his place in the French squad.