London: Mikel Arteta said he hopes Leif Davis’ “dangerous” red-card tackle on Bukayo Saka will not stop his star winger from playing in Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain. Saka was withdrawn just 10 minutes into the second half of Arsenal’s 4-0 win at Ipswich and had an ice pack applied to his right ankle following Davis’ late challenge. Davis was shown a straight red card and VAR did not intervene with referee Chris Kavanagh’s decision after it was adjudged that the Ipswich defender had “endangered Saka’s safety”. Saka limped towards the tunnel at the conclusion of the game. However, Arteta is confident the England international, who has only just returned from a near four-month injury lay-off following hamstring surgery, will be fit to face PSG in the first leg at the Emirates a week on Tuesday.
“I don’t think it is intentional but it was dangerous,” said Arteta. “I do (worry) with the numbers that we have right now, especially when the player has his back to goal, because that is the moment when the foot is planted, your weight is there, and you cannot really react. “He cuts him from the back. The referee made a decision, and that it is clear. He was a bit sore, but it’s nothing serious, so it’s good.” Just four days after they sealed their place in the semi-finals with a remarkable 5-1 aggregate victory over Real Madrid, Arsenal were a goal to the good inside 14 minutes when Leandro Trossard converted Saka’s cross. (PA Media/dpa)
