Mikel Arteta has warned Bukayo Saka he will become more of a target for defenders the better he gets - but his Arsenal players can help protect him.
Saka coming in for physical treatment from opposition players has been in the spotlight recently and Arsenal legend Ian Wright raised his concerns about it.
“We’ve got to talk about Saka. The man is getting kicked to bits, man,” Wright said on his podcast, Wrighty’s House.
“He’s getting kicked to bits. There’s only been one booking for challenges on Saka this season. We need to start protecting these players.”
Arteta is aware of those concerns, but he was warned Saka that comes with the territory of being one of the top players.
“The referees have the duties to deal with that,” said Arteta. “The better the players become the bigger target they become because people try and find ways to stop him, that is why football has very clear rules, what you can do and what you cannot do and that is the referees job.”
Supporters have argued the onus is one the referees to protect Saka, but Arteta believes his team-mates can help too.
“There is a part we can do better and we have to be more intelligent,” said Arteta.
“You can see at a certain point it becomes about the timing, the decision making, in the space you have generated before that action, and the understanding and knowledge of what is going to happen before it happens.
“Sometimes the type of ball we give him and when we give him certain balls.”
