Bukayo Saka is working with the Arsenal physios and strength & conditioning coaches in Dubai as he steps up his injury rehabilitation, but reports are mixed on when he’ll be back.

Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka has stepped up his injury rehabilitation by returning to strength and conditioning training, with the club sharing images of the player working with the physios.

Simon Collings reports for The Standard that Arsenal hope Saka will be ready to return in March, and Sami Mokbel confirms for the Daily Mail that the winger isn’t expected back until next month. There are certainly no suggestions from any source that a February return is likely.

But The Times write in their print edition on Tuesday, February 11th that Saka is set to return in March “at the earliest”, and some rumours on social media have suggested an early April comeback is more probable.

Though March versus April sounds like a pretty big disparity, it may only be the difference of a few days.

Arsenal don’t have any games from March 16th until April 1st because of the international break, so if Saka isn’t ready by the 16th, his recovery will move back to the following month by default.

Yet it will be very significant to Arsenal whether or not Saka is fit for those early March fixtures. In the Premier League, the Gunners face Manchester United away and Chelsea at home. In the Champions League, Mikel Arteta’s team play their round-of-16 tie.

Saka’s is working his way back from a significant hamstring injury, with the surgery scars visible on the outside of his right thigh in the above pictures.

If the 23-year-old happens to be ready in time for any of those March games, it will be a big boost to Arsenal. But the club won’t want to push him at all.