Bukayo Saka faces ‘race against time’ ahead of Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest game

Bukayo Saka faces a ‘race against time’ to get himself fit for Arsenal’s Premier League top four showdown against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, according to reports.

Saka is still struggling with a leg injury, which he suffered against Chelsea on November 10 and saw him limp off in pain.

It ruled Saka out of England’s important Nations League matches against Greece and the Republic of Ireland during the international break.

Arsenal were hoping to have Saka back at 100 per cent for the top-flight clash against Forest this weekend but it has not panned out that way.

Saka is still a question mark for the battle with Nuno Espirito Santo’s men, according to the Daily Mail, with the winger facing a ‘race against time’.

Given Saka is arguably Arsenal’s most important player, that news is surely a boost to Forest, who have massively impressed so far this season.

Forest currently sit fifth in the Premier League table, level on points with fourth-placed Arsenal and only behind the Gunners on goal difference.

Arsenal fans will be hoping the reports about Saka are just another one of Mikel Arteta’s tricks, with Oleksandr Zinchenko recently revealing that the Gunners boss loves to mess with rival managers over injury news.

‘I’ve seen Mikel Arteta tell injured players to come on the team bus and walk into the dressing room with their wash bag, to put the other manager off the scent,’ Zinchenko told The Athletic.

‘Arteta loves to play games with the opposition.’

Last month, Saka seemed destined to miss out on the clash against Liverpool, with Arteta claiming he was ‘uncertain’ to play.

But Arteta ended up naming Saka in his XI and he scored after just nine minutes in the 2-2 draw at the Emirates.

‘I don’t want to make it easy for anyone,’ Arteta said after that match. ‘The opponent has to make sure they do their homework – like I have to.’