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Arsenal is awaiting news on the fitness of Bukayo Saka after the winger was forced to leave the pitch due to an injury during Thursday's pre-season defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.
The 23-year-old appeared to be in discomfort following a seemingly harmless challenge from Spurs forward Mathys Tel, clutching his thigh as he fell to the ground. Saka received medical attention during a subsequent cooling break, before being replaced by manager Mikel Arteta as part of a series of substitutions.
Arsenal's injury woes deepened less than 10 minutes later when Leandro Trossard, one of the seven players brought on, had to be substituted for Reiss Nelson due to an issue.
The Gunners were defeated 1-0 by their rivals at the Kai Tak Stadium, marking the first north London derby to be held outside of the UK.
Spurs boss Thomas Frank celebrated a victory in his derby debut, thanks to Pape Matar Sarr's audacious lob from just inside the Arsenal half right before half-time. David Raya was caught off guard as he played a short pass to Myles Lewis-Skelly, but the 18-year-old lost control of the ball as he moved towards the center of the field.
Sarr intercepted the ball, advanced with it, glanced up, and lofted a precise shot over the retreating Raya from more than 40 yards out.
Arteta did not provide an update on Saka’s condition after the game, but insisted that Arsenal will not be taking risks with any player ahead of their friendly against Villarreal at the Emirates Stadium next Wednesday.
Arsenal struggled to find its rhythm beyond the opening 10 minutes, but delighted fans by giving new striker Viktor Gyokeres his debut in the final 15 minutes.
Arteta's squad has already claimed victories against AC Milan and Newcastle United in the pre-season, setting the stage for another Premier League title challenge. The Gunners will wrap up their pre-season with a match against Villarreal before taking on Athletic Club in the Emirates Cup.
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Arsenal's Premier League campaign kicks off with a high-profile trip to Manchester United, marking the start of a challenging run of fixtures. Following its Old Trafford visit, they face Leeds United, Liverpool, Nottingham Forest, Manchester City and Newcastle United, with the game at Anfield a month today.
After the final whistle in Hong Kong, Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice remained upbeat as he expressed his gratitude to the fans and looked forward to the next game.
He said: "It's been really, really special coming to Hong Kong. Thank you so much [to the fans] for your support. Even though we lost, we love you guys.
"It's been an incredible trip, we've really felt the love, and that's pushed us on. We lost tonight, but we have another game on Wednesday. It's still pre-season, and we're going to push for big things this season."
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