1999 at Elland Road is a time that should have some significance and warning for Bukayo Saka. Michael Owen suffered a rupture of his hamstring at 19 years of age, two years before he won the Ballon d’Or playing for Liverpool in an away game.
The former Liverpool striker’s words of how this affected him should find their way to the Arsenal starlet considering the minutes being demanded of him at 20 is quite startling. Speaking about his time recovering from the ordeal, Owen admits he was never the same again.
“I wish it had been a broken leg. The worst injury for me was a snapped hamstring because back then you didn't operate, you just allowed them to reattach. I was running with two hamstring muscles in my right leg and three in my left for the rest of my career. It was a point of weakness,” he said.
READ MORE: Arsenal news and transfers LIVE: PSG 'serious' for Scamacca, Sassuolo sign 'replacement'
“I often wonder if it was just a freak injury. Until then I was solid as a rock, never missed a game. Sir Alex Ferguson always says if I’d signed for Manchester United as a kid it wouldn’t have happened, he would’ve protected me.”
The reason this is relevant is an interesting reveal on minutes played by players in the Premier League has revealed that Bukayo Saka has been on the pitch for longer than Owen at the same age. Saka has played 9795 minutes of club football compared to Owen’s 8234.
Of course, diet, nutrition and rehabilitation with surgery are far more advanced nowadays. However, Mikel Arteta needs to consider the risk associated with overplaying the Hale End graduate.
Saka was Arsenal’s top scorer last season and his performances have seen him linked with some of the biggest clubs in the world as the Gunners attempt to lock him into a new deal. Arteta rotated very little and with European football back on the agenda for next season, the Spaniard will have to manage his squad perfectly.
The importance of Saka to Arsenal cannot risk seeing him suffer a similar injury to Owen. Arteta should heed the warning that Sir Alex Ferguson has indirectly offered through Owen’s reveal regarding his own career.
Nicolas Pepe is expected to depart this summer meaning Saka would be, in addition to Reiss Nelson whose own future is uncertain, the natural orthodox right-winger with little-to-no backup. Gabriel Martinelli could be deployed on the right but hasn’t featured regularly.
Raphinha was recently linked and, therefore, would provide strong competition for Saka. Risking the biggest talent to come out of the academy for a generation is simply not worth the short-term gain.
