Bukayo Saka steps up recovery from hamstring injury as Arsenal release new Dubai photos

The 23-year-old has been out of contention since sustaining the issue in a 5-1 Premier League win over Crystal Palace on December 21, immediately undergoing surgery to correct the injury.

Saka was given a three-month recovery timeframe, meaning that the England international is not expected back in action until late March or early April, but he is still a regular fixture at the Emirates.

Saka has been seen on the touchline before Premier League home games in the past few weeks, and the 23-year-old was also included in the Gunners' travelling squad for their warm-weather training camp in Dubai.

The attacker is still not expected back in competitive action for another few weeks, but he is making progress in his rehabilitation with the strength and conditioning team over in the Middle East.

Saka all smiles as Arsenal man steps up injury recovery

Arsenal posted a new round of photos from their latest day of Dubai training on social media on Monday, including images of Saka undergoing various exercises in the gym.

The Hale End graduate's surgery scar could also be visibly seen on his right leg in one of the photos, but his recuperation appears to be heading in the right direction.

Saka also issued the same batch of images on his Instagram account, accompanying the post with a cryptic timer emoji as he eyes a first-team comeback in the spring.

Prior to the most serious injury of his career, Saka registered a staggering 22 goal contributions in his first 24 appearances of the season across all competitions, nine of his own and 13 assists.

Despite being out of action for nearly two months, Saka's total of 10 Premier League assists is the joint second-best in the division, level with Fulham's Antonee Robinson and only behind Mohamed Salah's 13 for Liverpool.

When are Arsenal's other injury victims expected to return?

While Arsenal have often coped just fine in the absence of their attacking talisman - see the 5-1 mauling of Manchester City - Saka's return cannot come soon enough, and not just because of his pinpoint set-piece deliveries and terrific left-footed drives when cutting inside.

The Gunners took a risk by not signing a new attacker during the January transfer window, one that has backfired with an injury to Gabriel Martinelli, whose own hamstring problem is expected to keep him out for a month.

Martinelli joins Saka and long-term ACL absentee Gabriel Jesus on the sidelines, and there is still no timeframe on Takehiro Tomiyasu's return from a second knee injury of the season.

However, Ben White - who has been sidelined since undergoing a knee operation in November - has been taking part in full training in Dubai and is expected to be the next cab off the rank.

White could come into contention to face Leicester City in Saturday's lunchtime Premier League kickoff, Arsenal's first game back following their Dubai jaunt.

Written by

Ben Knapton