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Arsenal should unleash Bukayo Saka upon Real Madrid in the Champions League.
The biggest game of Mikel Arteta's Arsenal career is here, and he might have to call on the best player in the squad to help get his team over the line.
With Bukayo Saka making a superb return from a three-month injury lay-off after a hamstring injury suffered against Crystal Palace in a 5-1 win back in December, Saka has made a slow, but positive return.
Saka to start vs. Madrid?
He managed 30 minutes against Fulham in a 2-1 win which he scored the second goal, and then he managed another 49 minutes against Everton in a 1-1 draw to further push his case to start in the Champions League quarter finals against Real Madrid.
In what looms as the biggest game of the Gunners season, and possibly over the last decade, there is a lot riding on this result with the second leg at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium set to be nearly impossible to win given what will be presented to Arsenal.
This is why such a premium is being placed on this first leg at the Emirates and we can easily make the case that if Arsenal is to get a positive result, then Saka is going to have to be the one to make the difference and to do that, he can't be starting on the bench. He must be on the field from the outset.
But will he?
"He's in a much better place," Arteta said via arsenal.com. "Gradually, we have built his minutes in the last six or seven days. He's coped with that really well and he's in a good place to be able to be used."
So, Arteta isn't giving anything away before the match, but if we know him, and we think we do, No. 7 will be announced among the starting lineup.
It is a huge game for Arteta and the club with the Champions League the only competition the Gunners can win this season, otherwise another trophyless season under Arteta will be forthcoming.
So, there is a lot of pressure on the Gunners and being at home, the onus will be on them to take an advantage to the second leg and aim to hold on and progress to the semi-finals.
To do that, Saka must start...and we think he will.