Arsenal have been seriously suffering with injuries in recent times.
Kai Havertz is out for the season, while Gabriel Jesus is out until the end of the season too.
Now, Gabriel Magalhaes has gone down with a hamstring injury too.
However, Arsenal have had some injury boosts in recent times too. Gabriel Martinelli returned from injury a few weeks ago, while Bukayo Saka came back against Fulham on Tuesday evening.
Saka’s return was a huge boost for Arsenal, and speaking to Sky Sports, Tim Sherwood has been discussing just how important the winger is to the Gunners.
Sherwood earmarked Bukayo Saka as one of Arsenal’s two most important players, alongside Declan Rice, picking that pair ahead of the likes of Martin Odegaard and William Saliba as Arsenal’s most important stars.
Tim Sherwood names Arsenal’s two most important players
Sherwood named Saka and Rice as Arsenal’s two most important players.
The pundit says that these two are the Gunners’ most influential players, noting that the north London club have really missed Saka over the past few months.
“For me, he’s their best player, him (Saka) and Declan Rice, they are the most influential players Arsenal have. They’ve missed him, they’ve missed him, he chips in with goals, but he also makes Odegaard who plays in the pocket a lot better as well. He’s been a huge miss,” Sherwood said.
Arsenal’s record when Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka play together
Sherwood says that Rice and Saka are Arsenal’s two most important players, and the numbers back that up.
Indeed, the Gunners have a remarkable record when these two are both in the team and playing their best football.
| Arsenal’s record when Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka play together | |
|---|---|
| Games | 66 |
| Wins | 42 |
| Draws | 13 |
| Losses | 11 |
Arsenal are set to fall short in the title race this season, but perhaps this would’ve been a much closer-run race if Saka had managed to stay fit for the entire campaign.
Unfortunately, Arsenal have had rotten luck with injuries in recent times, but now that Saka is back, the Gunners could well see an uptick in form.
There’s a huge game with Real Madrid on the horizon for the north London club, and if both Saka and Rice are on the pitch against Los Blancos, Arsenal may have half a chance of making it through in the Champions League.
