Bukayo Saka has dismissed concerns over his long-term fitness, despite his club admitting they are worried about the rough treatment he receives on the pitch.
The 22-year-old does take a lot of kicks from full-backs, as is the nature of the job for a tricky winger, and in 2023 he was the third most fouled player in the Premier League.
Such was Arsenal’s concern over the situation that they registered a complaint with PGMOL, asking for more protection for the England international.
Saka goes into the north London derby on Sunday expecting to be on the wrong end of more fouls, but he is not thinking about the long-term impact on his career as he doesn’t want those thoughts creeping in and diminishing his game.
‘No, not really,’ he told the Telegraph on whether he is worried about his fitness in the future.
‘I don’t try to put those negative thoughts in my head because then I will start to be more shy in my duels and it will affect my game. I don’t really worry on that side.’
Saka sees the problem as simply part of the job and tries to look at it positively, hoping referees will punish opponents appropriately.
