Arsenal star Bukayo Saka has been advised to follow Harry Kane's example amid a slump in form following a nightmare run with hamstring injuries. The England star has struggled to build up any proper rhythm since hobbling off in December 2024 during Arsenal’s 5-1 win over Crystal Palace. After a long stint in the treatment room, Saka returned to action in April against Fulham, but fresh problems resurfaced this summer.
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Arsenal’s golden boy still searching for spark
A fresh hamstring setback during the 5-0 demolition of Leeds in August ruled Saka out of clashes against Liverpool, Nottingham Forest, and Athletic Club. Now back on the pitch once more, the 23-year-old has struggled to hit the turbocharged form that made him Arsenal’s most reliable match-winner.
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Fitness guru says patience is key
Premier League injury specialist Ben Dinnery has moved to ease fears about Saka’s form, explaining that his comeback is a gradual process rather than an instant fix.
In an interview with, he said: "With Bukayo Saka, he had that big hamstring injury last season and he’s come back into the fold this season and picked up a couple more niggles. I feel like he needs a bit more fluidity to get that match fitness and sharpness back. I wouldn’t be that quick to say that he’s looking a shade of his former self, but the difficulty is that he’s coming back into the forefold and hasn’t had a lot of first team minutes, so it may take him some more time to get back into the flow and intensity of things."
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Look at Kane as the shining example
To underline his point, Dinnery pointed to Harry Kane’s remarkable recovery from his own career-threatening hamstring tear in 2020. The then-Tottenham striker snapped his hamstring against Southampton, sparking fears his best days might be behind him. Instead, Kane came back stronger, breaking records and rewriting the narrative after a 2023 switch to Bayern Munich.
"There’s nothing to suggest that Saka won’t get back to those pre-injury levels; there’s a lot of examples of players who have sustained hamstring injuries and returned to even better levels – Harry Kane is a great example of that," Dinnery argued. "He definitely needs a few weeks to get back to full fitness – and Noni Madueke’s injury means he’ll likely be playing week in, week out, but I wouldn’t be concerned with Saka’s current state at this moment in time."
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Crucial games looming large
Arsenal’s thrilling 2-1 win over Newcastle at the weekend has given them a lift, but the challenges don’t stop coming. On Wednesday night, the Gunners welcome Olympiacos to the Emirates in a Champions League showdown, before returning to domestic duty with a London derby against West Ham on October 4. For Saka, these fixtures offer the perfect platform to silence the doubters and prove he can still be Arsenal’s game-changer, even while finding his rhythm.