Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has defended Bukayo Saka following remarks by England captain Harry Kane, who suggested some players may have “taken advantage” of the season’s intensity to avoid international duty.
Kane voiced disappointment over the absence of several players, including Saka and Declan Rice, from England’s UEFA Nations League matches due to reported injuries. However, Saka returned to action for Arsenal on Saturday, scoring the opening goal in a 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest. The win ended the Gunners’ four-game Premier League winless streak.
“Well, we can send an MRI scan, it’s very simple,” Arteta said. “That’s a communication that was very clear between the medical staff of Arsenal and the England national team. He hasn’t done anything; he was away and needed time to heal. He’s done one training session.”
Arteta also highlighted the on-field connection between Saka and captain Martin Ødegaard, who assisted the winger’s goal with a perfectly timed pass.
“That’s chemistry,” Arteta explained. “Sometimes you meet somebody and straight away you make eye contact, there’s something close, and with those two, it happened. Off the field, it happens, and on the field, it’s the same.
