Arsenal get huge injury boost for Man City showdown after latest scare

Bukayo Saka is expected to be fit for Arsenal’s weekend showdown against Manchester City after limping off in the north London derby win over Tottenham.

The Gunners secured another win over their arch-rivals on Sunday with Gabriel Magalhaes powering home a header to seal all three points on enemy turf.

There was concern for Saka however with the winger replaced after 86 minutes with 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri brought onto replace him.

Saka, who provided the assist for Gabriel’s winner, went down after no clear contact and required treatment on the pitch before hobbling off moments later.

Arsenal are dealing with a number of injury problems with Martin Odegaard suffering an ankle injury while on international duty with Norway last week. Mikel Merino is sidelined with a shoulder injury with Oleksandr Zinchenko joining Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney on the injured list with Riccardo Calafiori another to return from the international break with a knock.

But Saka’s withdrawal on Sunday was due to cramps with Arsenal confident he will make a full recovery this week, the Evening Standard report.

Arsenal begin their Champions League campaign away to Atalanta on Thursday before their trip to the Etihad on Sunday afternoon.

Mikel Arteta revealed after the win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium that Saka had asked to be taken off.

‘Suddenly he went down and said he couldn’t continue and we had to take him off,’ Arteta told Sky Sports.

He added in a post-match press conference: ‘I don’t know. I made two changes with the front players and suddenly he’s down. I don’t know exactly what it is but he could not continue.’

Arteta did not give an update on Odegaard’s condition but will speak to the media on Wednesday before the squad fly out to Italy.

Arsenal have won three of their opening four games of the new Premier League season, dropping points at home to Brighton prior to the international break.

City have started their defence of the title with a perfect run of four wins from four, scoring 11 goals in the process.