Mikel Arteta’s choice to start Bukayo Saka in Arsenal’s Carabao Cup third-round victory over Port Vale has drawn criticism from Jamie Redknapp, who cautions that the move might have backfired.
At Vale Park on Wednesday night, Bukayo Saka, who just recently recovered from a hamstring injury, was in the starting lineup.
After a strong challenge, the England international seemed uncomfortable and was replaced after just over an hour. Although Arsenal won 2-0 in the end, Saka’s involvement was the main point of contention.
Redknapp stated on Sky Sports that he did not comprehend Arteta’s decision to take such a risk with one of his most crucial players.
It’s clear that he feels that way. “He needs minutes,” the sports scientist will tell him, “but it’s definitely a risk,” he said.
“It doesn’t make sense to me when a guy who has recently had a hamstring injury like his does so during a less significant game. This weekend, you have a crucial matchup with Newcastle. Many of your players may have participated in the match versus Port Vale. You don’t really need him this evening. It seems risky to me. He has worked on his hamstrings twice, but in different ways. It simply seems like a game where no risks are taken.
However, Arteta clarified that the choice was well thought out. According to the Arsenal manager, Bukayo Saka was only supposed to play for about an hour in order to sharpen his skills.
After the game, Arteta told reporters, “We wanted to play him for no more than 60 minutes, and he comes from a big injury again, and we need to manage his minutes.”
He assured fans that there was no setback and stated that Saka himself was excited to appear. Arteta stated, “He’ll be around for the weekend.” The winger is anticipated to start in the Premier League matchup against Newcastle United.
