Mikel Arteta says Saka will not be back on the pitch any time soon

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta confirmed that the team's key winger Bukayo Saka is still several weeks away from returning. Although his recovery is good, he will not be able to return to the field in the short term.

The 23-year-old England international suffered a serious hamstring injury against Crystal Palace in December last year and subsequently underwent surgery. Although his recovery is progressing well, Arteta said in an interview that it will be some time before Saka can play again for the Gunners.

This season, Arsenal has been plagued by injuries. Not only Saka, but also Havertz, Jesus and other offensive players are absent due to injuries, which makes the team stretched on the front line. Arteta has to rely on Trossard, Mikel Merino and 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri to piece together the offensive line, which greatly reduces Arsenal's firepower in the crucial stage of the championship.

Arteta was asked about Saka's recovery after Sunday's 1-1 draw with Manchester United, to which he responded: "After the international break, let's see how he progresses. He's doing really well and he's very motivated, as you can imagine, so we hope that in the next few weeks he'll be back."

Arsenal is not only in trouble due to injuries, but the situation in the Premier League standings is also becoming increasingly severe. With Liverpool leading the league with a huge advantage of 15 points, the Gunners' title prospects are in jeopardy. However, Arteta refused to admit defeat in advance. He said: "I don't want to say that (the championship) is over, but the most frustrating thing now is that we failed to win our own games. In the championship competition, we know that we must win every game, otherwise we will lose the opportunity. But now is not the right time to discuss this topic."

Despite the setback in the league, Arsenal still needs to quickly adjust their form to face PSV Eindhoven in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final in midweek. With a 7-1 win in the first leg, the Gunners are in a good position to advance, and Arteta is expected to rotate players in this game to give the main players some rest.

Still, Arsenal needed a morale-boosting win to ensure progress in both the Champions League and Premier League titles after a disappointing draw at Old Trafford.