Saka and Arsenal gear up for Real Madrid showdown

Updated: Apr 7, 2025, 01:20 pm

VIDEO SHOWS: HIGHLIGHTS OF ARSENAL TRAINING SESSION

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SHOTLIST AND SCRIPT

SHOWS: LONDON COLNEY, NEAR LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (APRIL 7, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. ARSENAL WINGER, ETHAN NWANERI, WALKING OUT FOR TRAINING

2. ARSENAL FORWARD, BUKAYO SAKA (LEFT), AND MIDFIELDER, THOMAS PARTEY, WALKING OUT

3. ARSENAL MANAGER, MIKEL ARTETA, WALKING OUT / ARTETA TALKING TO MIDFIELDER, JORGINHO

4. ARSENAL SQUAD PREPARING FOR TRAINING

5. SMALL GROUP PASSING THE BALL

6. SAKA WITH SMALL GROUP

7. SQUAD GATHERING

8. ARTETA SPEAKING TO SQUAD

9. SQUAD WARMING UP

10. WIDE OF SQUAD WARMING UP

11. PLAYERS DOING STRETCHES / ARTETA WALKING

12. ARSENAL CAPTAIN, MARTIN ODEGAARD, RUNNING

13. SAKA WARMING UP

14. SQUAD GATHERING

15. SAKA RUNNING

16. PLAYERS THROWING CONES TO EACH OTHER DURING DRILL

17. ARSENAL MIDFIELDER, DECLAN RICE, STANDING NEXT TO DEFENDER, OLEKSANDR ZINCHENKO

18. VARIOUS OF RONDO DRILL

19. ARTETA JOINING IN RONDO DRILL

20. VARIOUS OF ARSENAL TRAINING

STORY: Injury lay-offs are rarely welcomed by players but Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka believes his enforced break could benefit him and his club as they prepare to face holders Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Tuesday (April 8).

Saka has emerged as arguably the most irreplaceable player in Mikel Arteta's squad and while his return from a serious hamstring injury has probably come too late to salvage Arsenal's Premier League title hopes, European glory is a realistic aim.

Saka missed England's opening two World Cup qualifiers last month but scored on his return for Arsenal in the Premier League win against Fulham last week.

If Arsenal are to stun Real Madrid, they will need Saka firing on all cylinders. His importance to Arsenal is underlined by his statistics this season -- 10 goals and 14 assists in 26 matches in all competitions, including four goals in the Champions League.

Arsenal were stopped at the quarter-final stage last year by Bayern Munich when they were still neck and neck with Manchester City in the battle for the Premier League title.

(Production: Gerry Mey, Henry Rounce)