Mikel Arteta tells Bukayo Saka to take holiday after huge Arsenal injury blow

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has told Bukayo Saka to take a well-earned holiday.

Saka is currently out injured after tearing his hamstring last month and is not expected back in action until at least March.

The injury is the first major one of Saka’s career and prior to that he had been one of Arsenal and England’s most consistent performers.

Coming into this current campaign, Saka had played over 6,000 minutes in the Premier League alone during the previous two seasons.

The winger is now working on his recovery, while he is also staying close to the squad and he was at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night to watch Arsenal win the north London derby.

But Arteta is also eager for Saka to get away on holiday and take advantage of the chance to have a rare break.

“He needs to,” said Arteta. “He is obligated to go. With his girlfriend or his family, he can choose. Or on his own.

“But he needs to get away for a few days and refresh. He can still do a lot of things with his rehab because it is the perfect stage. I think it will make him really better.

“He is [around the squad], and he has been every single day there [at the training ground]. There is a moment, especially when we are going to be away for a few days that he needs to do that. That is very important for him as well. We need to look after our players.

“Bukayo hasn’t had any time off for the past two seasons, so it’s a moment where maybe he can have a break as well, in other parts of his life, be closer to his family - great.”