September 29th 2023.
Mikel Arteta has been picking Bukayo Saka at almost every opportunity over the course of the last two seasons, but former Arsenal defender Mikael Silvestre has warned that this could lead to the English international burning out.
Saka recorded a club record 86th consecutive Premier League appearance last weekend in the north London derby, but was forced to leave the game due to an injury in the closing stages of the 2-2 draw. He missed Wednesday's Carabao Cup victory at Brentford and remains a doubt for Saturday's game against Bournemouth.
Silvestre believes that Arteta needs to carefully consider if Saka is up to 100% fitness before fielding him, as the Gunners need to keep up with Manchester City in the race for the title.
"Bukayo Saka is playing too much," Silvestre said. "He plays in a position where he is sprinting a lot, and he is challenged a lot by the defenders. He has not been given enough rest. He needs to be given some rest if Arsenal wants him to be there in March and April, which is when the team will really be competing in the important games for the title and in the Champions League. But he might get tired at that time. We know how tough the schedule in England is, and he also plays with the international team as well. By the time he has to go to the Euro, two-thirds of his energy will be gone. It's both physical and mentally. He needs to recharge the battery and recover to be on top every week."
It's clear that Mikel Arteta has to make a difficult decision regarding Bukayo Saka's playing time in order to ensure he is in peak condition for the most important games of the season. If Arteta chooses to ignore this advice, he risks burning out the young talent and potentially costing the Gunners a chance at the title.
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