The games Bukayo Saka will miss as Arsenal learn extent of injury blow

Arsenal face being without Bukayo Saka for up to eight weeks as a result of the injury he suffered midweek.

Saka was forced off after just 10 minutes in Wednesday’s Champions League draw against Bayern Munich.

After playing a long-range pass, Saka was seen clutching his thigh as he signalled his discomfort to the Arsenal bench, briefly receiving treatment before hobbling off to be replaced by Eberechi Eze.

Arteta sparked concerns immediately after the game, admitting the issue ‘doesn’t look good at all.’

Speaking on Friday ahead of today’s clash with Everton, the Gunners boss explained Saka was undergoing further scans to determine the extent of the issue.

‘He’s got another MRI this afternoon because he had quite a lot of fluid in the area so it was difficult to understand the extent of the injury,’ Arteta said.

‘We need a few more scans and opinions from the specialists. When a player is struggling to walk without any pain, he’s restricted in movement, they are not good signs.

‘Let’s be a little bit patient so we can give a definitive assessment.’

The Athletic now report Saka is expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks, potentially ruling him out until after Christmas.

The timeline could rule him out of 13 games with some huge fixtures on the horizon. Saka would miss key Premier League fixtures away to Liverpool and at home to Manchester City, in addition to the north London derby at Tottenham in early December. He could also miss the game at home to Manchester United, Arsenal’s final game before Christmas.

In the Champions League, the winger is set to miss the visits of Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid.

Saka has made 11 appearances for Arsenal this campaign, scoring four goals and providing one assist in all competitions.

For many years, Saka was one of Arsenal’s most robust players, starting 87 consecutive games for the club between 2021 and 2023.

But he has had various muscular injuries in more recent years, requiring hamstring surgery at the end of 2024. Another hamstring issue kept him out for four weeks early last season, also missing three matches with a hip problem in January.

An Achilles tendinitis issue ruled him out of five matches in April, returning to help Arsenal get over the line in the title race.

But his involvement at the World Cup was impacted as a result of that issue, starting just two of seven matches before scoring a hat-trick in the third-place play-off against France.

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