Arsenal suffer double injury blow in defeat to Tottenham

Mikel Arteta is sweating on the fitness of two Arsenal stars after they picked up injuries against Tottenham on Thursday

Arsenal’s 1–0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur in Thursday’s pre-season friendly was overshadowed by fresh injury concerns, with Bukayo Saka seen limping off the pitch after a heavy challenge in the second half.

Tottenham secured victory at the sold-out Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong thanks to a stunning long-range strike from Pape Matar Sarr just before half-time. Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya was caught off his line, and Spurs capitalised in what turned out to be the decisive moment of the match.

Saka, who started the game, went down following a challenge from Spurs forward Mathys Tel midway through the second half and required treatment. Although he briefly continued, the England international was eventually substituted in the 77th minute, replaced by academy youngster Max Dowman.

Footage from after the final whistle showed Saka visibly limping as he walked off the pitch with teammates during Tottenham’s post-match trophy celebrations.

Bukayo Saka was substituted against Tottenham (Image credit: Getty Images)

Manager Mikel Arteta did not offer a specific update on Saka’s condition in his post-match comments but made it clear that the club will not take any chances with player fitness ahead of their upcoming friendly against Villarreal at the Emirates Stadium next Wednesday.

Arsenal were dealt another blow late in the match as Leandro Trossard, who had come on as a substitute, was also forced off with five minutes to play. Arteta confirmed that the Belgian felt a muscular issue after being pushed while attempting a turn.

“He felt a little tweak,” Arteta said. “I think he tried to turn and he was pushed, and he felt something muscular. We will have to assess him.”

Several key players were already absent from the squad that faced Tottenham. Gabriel Magalhaes, Riccardo Calafiori, Jurrien Timber, and Kepa Arrizabalaga all missed the game, raising questions about their availability with the new Premier League season fast approaching.

Leandro Trossard was substituted despite coming on in the second half against Tottenham

However, Arteta was optimistic about the defensive trio’s recovery timeline. “If they evolve like they have in the last few days, Gabriel, Calafiori and Timber, the three of them will be available,” he said when asked about their readiness for Arsenal’s Premier League opener against Manchester United on August 17.

On Kepa’s absence, Arteta added: “He felt something in the game against Newcastle. I think it’s a matter of days. If it was a Premier League game, he could have played, but we decided not to take the risk.”

Arsenal will now monitor the fitness of Saka and Trossard closely in the coming days as Arteta looks to avoid further setbacks ahead of a demanding season.