Saka not available for England, Saliba out for France

LONDON : Bukayo Saka will not join up with England for October's international fixtures, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said on Sunday.

Saka missed a Premier League game for the first time since May, 2021 as Arsenal earned a 1-0 win over Premier League champions Manchester City on Sunday, ending a streak of 87 consecutive appearances.

His failure to recover from a hamstring injury will keep Saka out of England's friendly against Australia on Oct. 13 and the European Championship qualifier against Italy four days later.

"No, he will not make it," Arteta said. "He has not trained for a single session. He is not available to play football at the moment."

England manager Gareth Southgate said last week he would be cautious with Saka, despite the fact England can seal qualification for next year's European Championship.

The French Football Federation confirmed Arsenal defender William Saliba has been replaced in France's squad ahead of their European qualifier against Netherlands and a friendly with Scotland.

The 22-year-old has a "chronic toe injury", the federation said in a statement.