Mikel Arteta has been warned he risks burning out Arsenal star Bukayo Saka if he insists on picking him at every available opportunity this season by former Arsenal defender Mikael Silvestre.
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The England international made club record 86th consecutive Premier League appearance during last weekend’s pulsating north London derby but failed to last 90 minutes after he picked up an injury during the closing stages of a 2-2 draw.
Saka subsequently missed Wednesday’s Carabao Cup third round victory at Brentford and remains a doubt for Saturday’s must-win game against Bournemouth.
With Arsenal already having fallen behind a relentless Manchester City side, the Gunners can ill-afford to drop more points in the race for the title.
But Silvestre fears Arteta is asking for trouble if he plays a Saka who is anything less than 100% fit.
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Silvestre told Betting Expert: ‘Bukayo Saka is playing too much. He plays in a position where he is sprinting a lot, and he is challenged a lot by the defenders. He has not been given enough rest.
‘He needs to be given some rest if Arsenal wants him to be there in March and April, which is when the team will really be competing in the important games for the title and in the Champions League.
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‘But he might get tired at that time. We know how tough the schedule in England is, and he also plays with the international team as well.
‘By the time he has to go to the Euro, two-thirds of his energy will be gone.
‘It’s both physical and mentally. He needs to recharge the battery and recover to be on top every week.’
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