LATEST: Arsenal handed injury boost as fears ease over Saka and Odegaard setbacks

Arsenal’s emphatic 5-0 victory over Leeds United came at a cost, with Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard both forced off injured. But there is growing optimism inside the Emirates that the damage may not be as severe as first feared.

Saka, who pulled up holding his hamstring after a duel in the second half, is set to miss Sunday’s trip to Anfield and England’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers. However, initial assessments suggest the winger could be back within a month, far better news than last season when a hamstring issue sidelined him for three months.

Manager Mikel Arteta provided a measured update after the win. “Martin felt something in his shoulder when he landed. We don’t know. We’ll have to scan him tomorrow and understand a bit better.

“And Bukayo, while he was running with the ball, carrying the ball, wrestling with the defender, he felt something in his hamstring. So let’s see. I think it’s the other one. It’s not the same one as the previous injury,” the Arsenal boss said.

The sight of Odegaard leaving the stadium with his arm in a sling was a concern, but the Norway international has not yet been ruled out of the Liverpool clash. The club captain could feature if the scans show only minor damage.

Arteta admitted that the intensity of the Premier League demands depth. “We’ve had two weeks and we already lost Kai, Martin and Bukayo. So it tells you how well-equipped you have to be in this league to manage and to maintain the level that we want.”

Fortunately, Arsenal look better prepared than ever to cope. A busy summer window brought in Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze, strengthening the squad’s attacking armoury. Add Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard and the exciting academy pair Ethan Nwaneri and Max Dowman into the mix, and Arteta has options to rotate without losing sharpness in the final third.

What could have been a major setback now looks more like a short-term bump in the road. Both Saka and Odegaard remain key to Arsenal’s ambitions at home and abroad, but the early signs point to their absences being measured in weeks rather than months. With momentum building after the demolition of Leeds and genuine depth throughout the squad, the Gunners head into a crucial stretch of the season with belief intact.