International breaks always have their casualties and Bukayo Saka was one of dozens of players to sustain an injury over the October period.
The Arsenal winger was withdrawn earlier than expected during England’s shock 2-1 defeat to Greece and the 23-year-old subsequently missed the victory over Finland in Helsinki.
Saka was sent back to north London early to recuperate and is now a doubt to feature in Arsenal’s weekend clash with Bournemouth on the south coast. Mikel Arteta and Fantasy Premier League managers across the land will be sweating on his fitness.
Here’s the latest injury news on Saka ahead of Gameweek 8 in FPL.
Saka lasted just 52 minutes before being substituted in England’s surprise UEFA Nations League defeat to Greece. Arsenal’s star forward was replaced by Noni Madueke after sustaining a hamstring injury.
However, despite missing the 3-1 victory over Finland several days later, interim England boss Lee Carsley didn’t think Saka’s fitness concerns were serious.
Speaking to the media before the Finland encounter, Carsley stated: “Bukayo would have been close but it would have been unfair to take a risk with him, he’s a positive person and I expect him to be fine.”...Read Full Article [Click Here>]
Obviously, Arsenal will have to assess Saka’s condition before Saturday’s trip to Bournemouth, but the winger has always been incredibly durable when it comes to injuries. Often Saka has been seen trudging off the pitch with medical staff before featuring for the entirety of the following game.
Of course, Arsenal boss Arteta will reveal more about Saka’s condition when he speaks in his pre-Bournemouth press conference but the early signs are promising.
If you’re concerned over Saka’s fitness or it becomes clear that his injury is more serious than first thought, there are an array of FPL alternatives that offer safe points. One of those is Cole Palmer (£10.8m), who is currently £0.7m more expensive than Saka. If you have wiggle room in your budget, the Chelsea midfielder is always a secure bet.
The options in a lower price bracket are slimmer, with the likes of Son Heung-min (£9.8m), Kevin De Bruyne (£9.4m) and Martin Odegaard (£8.2m) all fitness concerns themselves. Saka’s international teammate Phil Foden (£9.2m) could be a risky shout worth investing in given his low ownership and favourable upcoming fixtures.
Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo (£7.5m) is already an extremely popular option after an impressive start to the season and would certainly save you some cash. He faces Manchester United (A), Ipswich Town (H) and Fulham (A) in his next three and has blanked in just two gameweeks so far.
If you’re content moving from one north London club to another, James Maddison (£7.5m) could be a sensible solution in the short and long term. The Spurs maestro has 25 points in his last three matches and faces West Ham United (H), Crystal Palace (A) and Ipswich (H) in three of his next four.
