“He’s played too much football” - Jamie Carragher and Thierry Henry blame Mikel Arteta for overusing Arsenal superstar

CBS Sports pundits Thierry Henry and Jamie Carragher criticized Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta for overworking Bukayo Saka.

Despite picking up a knock during the Gunners' 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur and hardly training over the past week, Mikel Arteta opted to include Bukayo Saka in the starting XI to face Lens in the UEFA Champions League last night (October 3).

The 22-year-old assisted Gabriel Jesus in the 14th minute to give Arsenal the lead but looked physically uncomfortable. He was eventually substituted in the 34th minute after picking up a muscular injury.

To make matters worse, Mikel Arteta's side were defeated 2-1, with Adrien Thomasson (25') and Elye Wahi (69') scoring for Lens.

Carragher blamed Saka's injury on his heavy workload. He said (via HITC):

“Is the bigger problem, Thierry, and it’s something you mentioned, Saka has gone off injured. You mentioned last week that the only criticism you can have in some ways is that he has played too much football. Is that more of a problem than the result considering who Arsenal are playing at the weekend?”

Henry responded:

“You lose, but it also looks like you might have lost Bukayo Saka. People were talking about Rodri not playing at the weekend. People were talking about a lot of stuff. Suddenly, you don’t have, for me, the main man at Arsenal playing against Man City at the weekend."

“It wasn’t so much criticism, it’s the only thing you can say about Bukayo Saka. He has been playing everything. At one point, you are going to hit the wall and it’s going to be a bit too much. It was maybe too physical tonight – obviously, he is going to be missed.”

Saka has been in phenomenal form this season, scoring five goals and providing five assists in 10 appearances across all competitions. However, Arteta has refused to rest the England international in any competition so far, which might have resulted in his injury.

The Gunners are likely to miss out on his service in their upcoming league clash against Manchester City on Sunday, October 8.

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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta hails William Saliba

Besides Saka, Arsenal's French centre-back William Saliba has also been a crucial member in the Gunners side. Manager Mikel Arteta recently lavished praise upon the defender, commending his development and consistency over the past year.

Saliba joined the Gunners in the summer of 2019 for £27 million from Saint-Etienne. He was sent on loan over the next three seasons in Ligue 1 to get some much-needed first-team experience.

The 22-year-old made his return to the Emirates last season, where he struck a formidable partnership with Gabriel Magalhaes, helping the club challenger for the Premier League title. He made 33 appearances across all competitions, bringing a sense of authority and calmness to Arsenal's defense.

Arteta said (via Arseblog News):

“When you look how he’s developing, his role in the team, the level and consistency he’s shown in the last year or so, it’s remarkable. When you look how he’s developing, his role in the team, the level and consistency he’s shown in the last year or so, it’s remarkable."

Saliba signed a new five-year deal with the Gunners this summer, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2028.