According to a report by Football London on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, Former Arsenal Director of High Performance Darren Burgess has offered an insight into the possible causes of Bukayo Saka's latest injury, raising concerns about the physical demands placed on young footballers.

Burgess discussed Saka's injury problems and explained how workload, previous injuries and playing demands can contribute to soft-tissue injuries.

The Arsenal winger suffered an injury during the Champions League meeting with Bayern Munich, forcing him to leave the pitch and raising fresh questions about his fitness.

Saka, now 25, has made more than 320 appearances for Arsenal since making his first-team debut. However, his recent injury difficulties have prompted discussions about the amount of football he has played for both club and country.

Burgess, who worked at Arsenal under Arsene Wenger and Unai Emery, explained that the final decision on whether an injured player starts a match ultimately rests with the manager and the player.

"Ultimately, the manager decides with the player," Burgess explained.

He revealed that medical and performance staff can advise against selecting a footballer if they believe the risk of further injury is too high. However, the manager and player can still agree that the individual is fit enough to feature.

Burgess also highlighted the importance of establishing trust between managers and medical departments to ensure informed decisions are made about players' fitness.

Addressing Saka's situation, the former Arsenal performance chief warned about the demands placed on explosive young players, particularly in the Premier League.

He referenced Raheem Sterling and Cesc Fabregas when discussing how younger footballers are exposed to increasing numbers of competitive minutes.

"So I have a great fear for the young players of the game now if they're thrown in and mismanaged, particularly when they're playing in the Premier League, of which the intensity is just through the roof," he said.

Burgess admitted that he did not know the specific details surrounding Saka's latest injury but stressed that explosive players require additional attention when managing their physical workload.

He also suggested that the problem might have developed before the Bayern Munich encounter rather than being caused by fatigue during the match.