Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says losing Bukayo Saka to injury will make him a better manager.
The England winger faces “several weeks” of absence after tearing his hamstring during Arsenal’s 5-1 dismantling of Crystal Palace last weekend.
Saka’s injury comes a month after captain Martin Odegaard returned after 12 matches with an ankle problem.
Saka’s natural replacement Raheem Sterling will also be out for some time after injuring his knee in training.
💬 “If you don’t take risks, or if you don’t want to take risks, then you limit yourself.”
Bukayo talks about his football philosophy, the sacrifices made to make him the star he is 👇
–Arsenal (@Arsenal) December 25, 2024
But when asked if his latest managerial test would make him a better manager, Arteta replied: “I think so, yes. We started the season with one of the thinnest teams in the Premier League, and we knew it.
“If we have the thinnest team, what do we need? We’ve really worked on that to make sure that we’re using every player to the best possible potential, and that everyone has to feel a part of it.
“We have to rediscover players in different positions and different relationships. It’s a really good exercise and the boys are willing to do whatever we ask them to do, so that’s a really good thing too.
The pressures placed on players are under scrutiny, with Manchester City midfielder Rodri, out for the rest of the season, one of the big names injured this year.
“It (the schedule) is not sustainable unless we can find ways to physically transform players into monsters who can do everything,” Arteta added.
“Training and recovering is not a good pattern because the body needs to train, the muscles need to train. If you just play and recover, you start to lose many factors in your body that are essential for physical performance.
“Not just to play to stay injury-free, but to become a better athlete, which is very different, and continue to grow as an athlete.
“I hope the players are listened to, but whoever is responsible, can they actually do something now with the commitments that are already in place for the next three or four seasons? It’s very challenging and very difficult.
