Bukayo Saka and Mikel Arteta (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images, Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Bukayo Saka made a triumphant return for Arsenal earlier this week as he scored in his first appearance after a three-month injury lay-off. The 23-year-old scored what turned out to be the winning goal against Fulham, and that will set him in good stead to end the season on a high.
Arsenal struggled during Saka’s absence, which started in December when he suffered a serious hamstring injury. But now that he is back, they will be targeting a strong end to the season – but while the Premier League is almost out of reach, Mikel Arteta’s side do still have Champions League aspirations.
Collymore believes Bukayo Saka return is huge for Arsenal
In his exclusive CaughtOffside column, Collymore spoke on the importance of Saka to Arsenal, although he made it clear to Arteta that he cannot solely rely on the winger for the upcoming tie against Real Madrid.
“It was vital for Arsenal’s Champions League and Premier League ambitions to get Bukayo Saka back from injury. Although they do have Mikel Merino establishing himself as an unlikely goalscorer, the performances when he was out injured have shown just how important a player he is for Mikel Arteta.
“Saka is a real talisman for Arsenal, and I think his return could even have saved them from dropping below Nottingham Forest in the Premier League table. His goal and assist output should be enough to ensure a second place finish behind Liverpool.
“In terms of the Champions League, is Saka brave enough and bold enough to take on and help Arsenal beat Real Madrid? I don’t think so, but it would be unfair for him to carry that burden so heavily considering that he has only just returned from three months out. For me, the key thing is to stop Real Madrid from scoring, and that obviously becomes significantly more difficult now that Gabriel is out.
“Arsenal need to figure out a way to face Real Madrid. If they go toe-to-toe with them, I think they will be soundly beaten over the two legs. But if they are more pragmatic, they have a chance – and that responsibility falls on Arteta, and we will see whether he can prove that he is a top quality manager at this level.”
