Former Premier League midfielder Jamie O’Hara has said that the Arsenal manager is to blame for the injury to Bukayo Saka.

The Gunners winger is set to be out for over two months with a hamstring injury that he suffered during Arsenal’s 5-1 win against Crystal Palace before Christmas.

Mikel Arteta said: “He had a procedure. Everything went well. But unfortunately, he will be out for many, many weeks. I think it will be more than two months. I don’t know exactly how much longer.”

With Saka set to be out for a while, it could be damaging to the Gunners’ hopes of winning the Premier League title for the first time since 2003/04. The England international has scored five goals and 10 assists in the league this year.

Former Premier League midfielder O’Hara believes that Arteta is to blame for Saka’s injury. He told Grosvenor Sport: “It was always going to happen; Arsenal have got themselves to blame. Mikel Arteta has played him every single week, including games where you don’t need to play him, like Carabao Cup games.

“The earlier rounds of those competitions should be used to rotate players, I can’t believe he’s played in all their Carabao Cup games!

“I know Arsenal are hugely reliant on Bukayo Saka with what he can produce on the pitch, but this was always going to happen. I think both the manager and the fixture list are to blame for his injury.

“It’s no coincidence that all the top players are getting injured. They’re not machines; they’re going to break down.”

Bukayo Saka injury could mirror Arsenal slump without midfield star

Saka isn’t the first Arsenal player to suffer a crucial injury so far this year. Captain Martin Odegaard suffered an injury in October which kept him out for over a month.

The lack of Odegaard in midfield caused the Gunners to have a slump in form and had been one of the reasons why they now sit nine points behind Liverpool.

Arteta will be hoping that his side don’t face a similar run of form to when Odegaard was out in Saka’s absence.