Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka believes his enforced break due to injury could benefit him and his club as they prepare to face holders Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. Saka has emerged as arguably the most irreplaceable player in Mikel Arteta’s squad, and his return from a serious hamstring injury has probably come too late to salvage Arsenal’s Premier League title hopes, but European glory is a realistic aim.
Saka’s Injury and Recovery
Saka missed more than three months after sustaining an injury before Christmas, but he believes his break has been beneficial for him. “I think mentally it was really good for me,” the 23-year-old Saka said. “Obviously it was really tough for me initially to find out the extent of my injury, that I was going to have surgery, it was really tough for me to hear the news at first but once it was done and successful I was just focused on coming back stronger and I had a lot of time.”
Saka’s Importance to Arsenal
Saka’s importance to Arsenal is underlined by his statistics this season — 10 goals and 14 assists in 26 matches in all competitions, including four goals in the Champions League. Arsenal were stopped at the quarter-final stage last year by Bayern Munich when they were still neck and neck with Manchester City in the battle for the Premier League title.
A Crucial Match Against Real Madrid
This time, all their eggs are in their European basket, and Saka said tonight’s first leg could be one of the best occasions ever witnessed at the Emirates Stadium. “It’s a very big night and the stakes are high against one of the best teams in the competition,” he said. “It’s the first time the club has been in back-to-back Champions League quarter-finals for a while, so tomorrow night we want to take the next step and try and get over the line.”
Saka’s Freshness and Readiness
Saka believes his relative freshness will give him an edge against the Spanish giants. “The past five years I’ve been playing game after game so it was the first proper break I’ve had,” he said. “It was really good for me. I got to do a lot of things that I don’t normally do. It’s really nice to be back and I feel fresh mentally.”
Conclusion
Saka’s return from injury and his freshness could be a significant factor in Arsenal’s match against Real Madrid. With his impressive statistics this season and his importance to the team, Saka’s performance will be crucial in determining the outcome of the match. Arsenal will need Saka firing on all cylinders if they are to stun Real Madrid and progress to the next stage of the Champions League.