Arsenal and England star Bukayo Saka has been ruled out of the upcoming international break with a hamstring injury.
The 22-year-old missed Arsenal’s Premier League win over Manchester City on Sunday and has now been withdrawn from the England squad for their friendly against Australia on Friday and their European Championship qualifier against Italy on Monday.
Saka has had a hamstring issue in recent weeks, having come off during Arsenal’s Champions League defeat to Lens last Tuesday and their Premier League win over Bournemouth the previous weekend.
England manager Gareth Southgate said that he would not take any risks with Saka’s fitness, even though England have the chance to secure qualification for next summer’s European Championship during this international break.
“We’ve got that responsibility of qualifying for the country, but 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.”
