Bukayo Saka limped off the pitch when Arsenal faced Bayern Munich in October (Picture: AP Photo)
Bukayo Saka is ‘a bit fragile’ and must work on preventing injury problems in future, reckons former Arsenal defender Mikael Silvestre.
The Gunners winger is currently sidelined with a hamstring problem picked up in a Champions League clash with Bayern Munich on October 21.
Saka is not expected to be back in action until December, with Noni Madueke filling in on the right flank in his absence.
The 25-year-old has been hampered by some injury issues over the last two seasons, but has still managed to rack up a huge amount of appearances, 323 for Arsenal in total.
He played 49 times in all competitions last season, although the 2024/25 campaign saw him play the least since he broke into the first team, turning out 37 times.
Silvestre accepts that injuries are bound to occur for players of Saka’s ilk, but suggests he is not quite as robust as he could be.
‘When you are an explosive player like Saka, obviously the muscles are what will trouble you when you are doing those sprints all the time,’ Silvestre told PariuriX.com. ‘Maybe, he is a bit fragile, and with the amount of games things like this can happen.
Saka has played through pain plenty of times (Picture: REUTERS)
‘What is important for him is the recovery and the prevention, because it’s very important for him that it doesn’t happen too often, because he is very important for Arsenal.’
Silvestre sees Madueke as an improving force in Saka’s absence, although there is still room to become sharper in the final third.
‘That’s why you have a big squad and Madueke would start for most of the teams in the Premier League, if not all,’ said the Frenchman. ‘He has the quality and I think he is getting his confidence now, he is trying to score and create more.
‘He doesn’t have the killer instinct yet, but he is growing into it and he is trying to get there.’
Noni Madueke opened the scoring against Slavia Prague on Wednesday (Press Association)
Silvestre, who won five Premier League titles with Manchester United, reckons Arsenal’s forward line as a whole can let them down, with their strength clearly lying in defence. The recent 1-0 win at Liverpool being a good illustration.
‘Winning at Anfield, with a clean sheet as well makes it a very good defensive performance,’ he said. ‘We can’t say the same with the offense. I would say that’s one for the record, and one that you look back at the end of the season and say it was an important 3 points. But it wasn’t a full on, top class, 90 minute performance from Arsenal.
‘But it’s important to get those wins against teams who are also potentially in the race, and to keep your distance from them.
‘The positives are the defensive side of things, the 3 points, and the fact that it was at Anfield. It breaks that negative dynamic but I think it’s just for the stats really.
‘I think you need your best players at the key moments featuring in the semi-finals and the final of competitions. Arsenal need to keep Timber fit, Saliba is coming back also. You need your strong 11 and the best defence once you reach the final. So it’s still a long way away but they defend well, as a unit for sure.’
