Bukayo Saka pulls out of England squad due to injury

Bukayo Saka, the Arsenal winger, has been forced to step back from the England team in view of the forthcoming international friendly matches against Brazil and Belgium, owing to an injury.

On arriving for England duty at the beginning of the week, Saka had already been suffering from an injury, but despite efforts, he was not able to overcome it and hence will not take part in the matches.

England issued a statement on Thursday night saying, 'Bukayo Saka has exited the England camp and has gone back to his club for continued rehabilitation. Being an Arsenal forward, he came to St. George's Park injured and was unable to take part in the training.'

The statement further read, 'No additional replacements will be made as the England team of 25 members will continue their preparations for the upcoming international matches with Brazil and Belgium.'

Although Saka’s withdrawal may be a disappointing development for England in terms of preparations for Euro 2024, it won't have a significant impact on a couple of friendly matches. However, this raises a significant concern about his fitness for the crucial Premier League title showdown between Arsenal and Manchester City, scheduled to take place at the end of this month.

Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Magalhaes are two other players who are injured and couldn't make to a Brazil call-up. They will remain doubtful for the match against City until there are some positive updates about their injuries.

Without Saka, Arsenal would be at a great loss for the forthcoming match at the Etihad Stadium if he doesn't recover in time. Saka, who is 22 years old, has been Arsenal's leading scorer this season, having scored 16 times in all matches. He has also made 13 assists, bringing his total contributions to the team to 29 in 37 club appearances.