Bukayo Saka: Arsenal forward not available for England fixtures, says boss Mikel Arteta

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says Bukayo Saka will not join up with England for October’s international fixtures.

England face Australia on October 13, before taking on Italy in a European Championship qualifier four days later.

“No, he won’t make it,” Arteta said after Sunday’s game. “He hasn’t trained for a single session.”

While he would not disclose the extent of Saka’s spell on the sidelines, Arteta added: “He is not available to play football at the moment.”

Saka’s absence on Sunday ended a run of 87 consecutive Premier League games in which Arteta played the 22-year-old winger.

He has been struggling with his hamstring in recent weeks, limping off during Arsenal’s 2-1 Champions League loss at Lens on Tuesday, and being withdrawn in last weekend’s victory at Bournemouth.

England manager Gareth Southgate said last Thursday he would take no risks with Saka, despite England being able to qualify for next summer’s European Championships in Germany in this international break.

“We’ve got that responsibility of qualifying for the country goal, I’ve been a player, I’ve never ever taken a risk on a player’s physical wellbeing, and nor would I,” said Southgate.

“They [Premier League clubs] have trust in us that we make decisions that are right for the long term whenever we can.”