Bukayo Saka has said he feels mentally refreshed after missing three months through injury and believes Arsenal are ready to “write our own story” against Real Madrid in their Champions League quarter-final.
Saka is expected to start against Madrid on Tuesday in the first leg for the first time since rupturing a hamstring in December, having come on in the past two matches. The Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, said having the 23-year-old back for what he described as the biggest game of his coaching career was a massive boost as his team attempt to overcome the reigning champions.
Saka, having missed only four of 135 Premier League matches since early May 2021 before his injury, admitted the time on the sidelines had benefited him.
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“I think mentally it was really good for me,” he said. “Obviously it was really tough initially to find out the extent of my injury, that I was going to have to have surgery … But once it was done and it was successful, I was just focused on coming back stronger and had a lot of time.
“Obviously the past five years I’ve been playing game after game, so it was the first proper break I’ve had and it was really good for me. I got to do a lot of things that I don’t really normally do. I can give you many, many examples, but you will get bored. It’s really nice to be back and I feel fresh mentally for sure.”
Arsenal have not faced Madrid since beating them in the last 16 in 2006 when a patched-up side with Mathieu Flamini deputising at left-back won 1-0 in the Santiago Bernabéu courtesy of a goal from Thierry Henry. With Gabriel Magalhães out for the season, Jakub Kiwior may continue in central defence unless Arteta prefers the fit-again Ben White or Jurriën Timber.
Saka, who insisted he was “pretty relaxed” about signing a new contract with his deal expiring in 2027, revealed he regularly speaks to Henry for advice and is hoping this Arsenal side are capable of following in that one’s footsteps.
Asked whether he had let himself dream about emulating Henry, he said: “Yes, of course. His moment was his moment. Obviously, here we want to write our own story, but something like that would be nice. I want to win and I want to win wearing this badge.
“So I think it’s pretty clear. The fans know how much I love them. You saw when I came on Tuesday [against Fulham], I think they love me back. So it’s a good relationship and I’m really happy to be here and I’m just focused on winning.”
Arsenal look likely to finish as runners-up in the Premier League for the third year in succession having experienced a number of injuries to key players this season. Arteta is hoping it is about time their luck changed and urged his players to seize their moment on the biggest club stage and get to the final like Arsène Wenger’s side did in 2006.
“It’s an inspiration for sure because that generation, what they achieved is what we want to achieve, certainly,” he said. “It’s very different – 20 years is a long time in football, very different context. But the history is there. Unfortunately, it’s too far to be very relative to the situation that we are in. But there are things to take from there and be inspired, for sure.
“We’re going to put all the ingredients, everything that is in our hands, to play the game that we want and to take the game in the direction that we want.”
