Bukayo Saka acts as unifying force to lift Arsenal belief ahead of Real Madrid showdown | OneFootball

Saka’s return from injury gives Gunners a glimpse of the attacking force they can unleash in Champions League quarter-final

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Bukayo Saka’s long-awaited return to the pitch was such a unifying force at the Emirates.

Saka has been through it over the past three months, undergoing surgery on his hamstring injury and then gradually working his way back by doing the hard yards at the training ground with Sam Wilson, the Arsenal physical performance coach who has led his rehab and whom he embraced in the dugout after scoring off the bench.

The Gunners needed a pick-me-up of some sort, and Saka provided it. The 23-year-old received a standing ovation and a rousing reception when he replaced Ethan Nwaneri on 66 minutes against Fulham on Tuesday. When he pounced to score a header seven minutes later, new decibels were reached.

Saka made his mark on his first appearance in more than three months

Getty Images

It was, as Mikel Arteta put it, “a beautiful moment to see how much our people love, respect and admire Bukayo.”

More than a cathartic night, though, Tuesday’s 2-1 home win over Fulham offered a glimpse of the attacking jewels Arsenal can unleash on Real Madrid when they meet in next week’s Champions League quarter-final first leg at the Emirates.

Nwaneri started on the right against Fulham, given Saka was a substitute, and the way he combined with Jurrien Timber and the drifting Mikel Merino - who scored the opener - offered encouragement for the trouble Arteta’s front-line can cause Los Blancos if they click into top gear.

The obvious boost, though, is having Saka, himself, back. The England international lurked like a poacher at the back post to nod in Gabriel Martinelli’s acrobatic flick. He then hung wide, waiting to receive from Declan Rice and others, providing Arsenal with an outlet.

The player most likely to cause Real irreparable damage is back, and the trip to Goodison Park to face Everton on Saturday provides Saka with another opportunity to rev up for that first leg. He could start.

Saka will pose a real threat to Real Madrid in Arsenal’s Champions League quarter-final

AP

But optimism in the week leading up to that Real game has been tempered by a costly night at the back for Arsenal - and not costly because of the way they let Rodrigo Muniz ruin their clean sheet, though that was worryingly lax.

Costly in terms of bodies. Ben White did not make the squad because of a new problem in his knee, and once the match began the situation at the back worsened.

Gabriel went down holding his hamstring and had to be replaced by Jakub Kiwior after only 16 minutes. And Timber, who was outstanding, appeared to have some discomfort in his knee throughout the game. It ultimately saw him replaced with 13 minutes to play.

Add in the knee injury suffered by Riccardo Calafiori on Italy duty last week and Arsenal now have four defenders who are doubtful for Tuesday’s first leg.

If Gabriel and White do not recover in time, Kiwior - who looked a little rusty against Fulham - will be in line for just his 10th start of the season, tasked with containing Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr.

After months talking about how their striker-less attack was their problem, it now looks to be the Gunners’ defence that will be the issue in build-up to the first leg against Real Madrid.