Arsenal striker Bukayo Saka took to social media to give an encouraging update from his hospital bed following surgery on his injured navel.
The 23-year-old winger pulled up during Arsenal's 5-1 win over Crystal Palace before Christmas, limping towards the team manager on crutches. Club medical staff he was afraid at first that Saka had completely dislocated his bone, an injury that would rule him out for the remainder of the season.
However, scans showed that the muscle had been torn. Mikel Arteta confirmed it later that Saka will be out “more than two months” and underwent surgery earlier this week.
After a successful operation, Saka has commented publicly for the first time since his injury, posting an emotional message on Instagram which read: “Most see the obstacles, but few see the possibilities. The recovery has begun and I'm coming back stronger! Thank you all for your messages.”
This is his first serious injury fromhis high career. The incredibly consistent striker missed around a month of action between October and November with a similar muscle problem, but had never previously been out for more than 18 days due to fitness concerns.
Since entering ArsenalFirst team throughout the 2019/20 season, Saka has amassed 250 appearances for his boyhood club. The Hale End academy graduate became the third youngest player in Arsenal's history to reach that milestone, behind only Cesc Fabregas and David O'Leary.
The Gunners have been linked with several players as an emergency replacement for their talismanic winger, most notably Wolverhampton Wanderers star Matheus Cunha, but whether a move can be agreed in the always testing January window remains to be seen.