Porto boss Vitor Bruno has said that Fabio Vieira was not excluded from his squad on Saturday due to an imminent recall by his parent club Arsenal.
Vieira has struggled to break through into the Gunners' first XI since signing for Mikel Arteta's side in the summer of 2022 from Porto.
However, the attacking midfielder has made just five starts in the Premier League and has already played more minutes this season in the Primeira Liga with Porto than he did in the 2022-23 league season.
With news that Bukayo Saka is set to be out for more than two months after undergoing surgery following a hamstring injury, reports emerged that Vieira was left out of Porto's squad for their clash against Boavista due to a potential recall by Arsenal.
According to A Bola, his absence was related to a disciplinary issue, and Vitor Bruno has since clarified his decision, telling reporters: "I have to make decisions, pay close attention to the players' performance and how they view their day-to-day activities. Fabio is very talented, but talent has to be based on a series of assumptions.
"I don't need to pass on any message. Fabio knows me well and we are counting on him. He will be available to play again next week. So it is a question of making decisions."
Vieira has started seven of Porto's 16 league games this campaign, and it would seem that Arteta would rather look elsewhere for Saka's replacement than take him back from Portugal.
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Bukayo Saka replacement options
Arsenal overcame Ipswich Town 1-0 at the Emirates on Friday in the Premier League, and while their defence was rarely threatened, the Gunners struggled to create much from open play.
One of the options mooted as a potential stop-gap until Saka's return from injury has been Randal Kolo Muani, who has reportedly been made available by Paris Saint-Germain this winter.
The forward would not be a like-for-like replacement for the winger given he generally prefers to operate as a striker, but he has shown an ability to find the back of the net in the past considering the 26-year-old has averaged more goals and assists per 90 in Ligue 1 than Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus this campaign.
Perhaps Arsenal could benefit from a change to a more direct, attacking style with the aim of maximising the qualities already within their squad.
The likes of Martinelli excel when given the opportunity to make threatening runs behind opposition defensive lines, and with Martin Odegaard stationed in midfield, the Gunners certainly have the tools to pose a threat during transitions.
Lewis Nolan
