Bukayo Saka injury latest as England boss Lee Carsley gives update on Arsenal star

Bukayo Saka was substituted in the 52nd minute of England's 2-1 defeat by Greece on Thursday night, sparking concerns the Arsenal winger could miss upcoming games

Arsenal fans face a nervous wait to see how bad Bukayo Saka’s injury is after he was forced off during England’s defeat by Greece.

Saka hobbled off clutching his right hamstring in the 52nd minute and was replaced by Noni Madueke as the Three Lions were beaten 2-1 in the Nations League at Wembley on Thursday night. The Arsenal winger pulled up while trying to deliver a cross and was immediately taken off, prompting worry among Gunners supporters.

Mikel Arteta's side lost captain Martin Odegaard to injury during the last international break and will be concerned by Saka’s fate. He was seen walking gingerly out of Wembley after the disappointing result and interim manager Lee Carsley said they don’t yet know how severe the problem is.

“He’s being assessed,” Carsley said in his post-match press conference. “Obviously, in the build-up to the first goal, you could see he felt something in his leg.” The injury compounded a miserable night for England, who were stunned by an impressive Greece side.

Vangelis Pavlidis scored twice to win it for the visitors, who could have won by a greater margin, having had the ball in the net on five occasions. Pavlidis put Greece ahead when he danced through a weak England defence to beat Jordan Pickford with a low shot in the 49th minute.

England rallied and equalised when Jude Bellingham powered Ollie Watkins’ cut-back past the Greek goalkeeper in the 87th minute. But some more shambolic defending allowed Pavlidis to pounce on a loose ball in the 94th minute to give Greece an emotional win, which they dedicated to their late team-mate George Baldock.

Carsley started an experimental line-up which saw England go without a recognised striker in the absence of Harry Kane. Saka started on the right wing, with Anthony Gordon on the left and Phil Foden as a false No.9 with support from Bellingham and Cole Palmer. It didn’t work and England will be hoping to improve when they face Finland on Sunday evening.

Saka is a major doubt for that match, while Arsenal fans will have one eye on their match against Bournemouth next Saturday. The 23-year-old has three goals and seven assists in 10 matches for Arsenal this season and is a key player for Arteta’s side as they challenge for the Premier League title once again.

He picked up two assists and a goal in Arsenal’s 3-1 win over Southampton last weekend and was hailed by Arteta. “That’s the maturity and the steps that players have to do," Arteta said when asked about Saka's improvement this season.

"He’s been long enough in the team now – he’s earned the right to have that role. He believes in that, he has the capacity to change games, decide games, like many other players. If you want to be at the top, players have to create those moments and he’s certainly done that today."

Join our new WhatsApp communityand receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read ourPrivacy Notice.