Aaron Ramsdale has been ruled out of the England squad for this month’s international break, but Arsenal team-mate Bukayo Saka is expected to be available despite picking up a knock in Saturday’s victory over Aston Villa.
Saka scored the winning goal in a 1-0 triumph at Villa Park, but was on the end of several hefty challenges, including one from Tyrone Mings which left him with a bloody ankle.
The winger was replaced by Nicolas Pepe midway through the second half but Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta explained his substitution and confirmed the 20-year-old should be fine to join up with Gareth Southgate’s squad ahead of friendlies against Switzerland and Ivory Coast.
“He was really fatigued as well, after Liverpool he had an issue in his hip,” Arteta said.
“He’s played a lot of minutes and you could tell. We don’t want to risk it, he need to go with England now, and we decided the best thing was to take him off.
“He should be fine, I think.”
Ramsdale was missing for the win at Villa having picked up a hip problem in the midweek defeat to Liverpool, with Bernd Leno coming in and keeping a clean sheet on his first Premier League appearance since August.
The 23-year-old had been called up by Southgate on Thursday and has been tipped to put real pressure on long-term No1 Jordan Pickford given his superb recent form, but Arteta confirmed he will not be available.
“He wasn’t comfortable in the last 50 or 60 minutes against Liverpool so we scanned him and he has a proper injury.
“He wanted to be here and the moment he realised he wasn’t going to be able to play and Bernd was going to play, he wanted to be here to support Bernd, which tells you a lot of the things that are going on behind the scenes.
“He won’t be able to play for England.”
