Mikel Arteta drops worrying Bukayo Saka injury update as Arsenal prepare to face Brentford

Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Bukayo Saka is a doubt for Arsenal's upcoming games against Brentford and Bournemouth.

Saka played a key role in Arsenal's 2-2 draw with Tottenham on Sunday, slotting away a penalty after seeing his deflected shot hit the back of the net.

However, the Gunners boss has since cast doubt over his fitness ahead of their EFL Cup clash against Brentford on Wednesday, revealing he hasn't trained with the squad since the North London derby.

Arteta told reporters on Tuesday: “He was limping quite badly after the match [against Tottenham]. We had to get him off the field.

“He hasn’t been able to participate in the session. It’s a possibility [he could miss Bournemouth].”

Meanwhile, Arteta provided a similarly concerning update on Declan Rice, who was replaced by Jorginho at half-time at the Emirates due to 'discomfort' in his back.

“He hasn’t trained yet," Arteta said when asked about Rice's injury. He could not carry on in the game. Hopefully it’s not something big. We are confident. He is still uncomfortable and he had to leave the pitch which is never a good sign. It’s still doubtful.”

On the other hand, Arteta offered a more encouraging update on Gabriel Martinelli, who missed Sunday's clash against Tottenham due to a muscle problem.

"With Gaby we are still assessing him and so let’s see whether he can make the game or not," the Spaniard said.

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