Arsenal are coming out of a defensive injury crisis that threatened to be a problem in the first chapter of the season, but Mikel Arteta now faces a new headache at the top end of the pitch.
William Saliba and Piero Hincapié are the only defenders now sidelined, with an expectation that the latter could be back by the weekend. Saliba is a long-term absentee left over from the summer, aggravating a back complaint during the 2026 World Cup, but also appears to be ahead of schedule and could be fully recovered some time next month.
It is further forward, now Bukayo Saka has been ruled out, that is a concern.
Saka, who has had been enjoying an injury-free start to 2026–27 after spells sidelined in each of the last two seasons, was forced off only 10 minutes into Wednesday night’s Champions League encounter with Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena.
“It doesn’t look good at all, but we have to wait and see,” Arteta told reporters afterwards. “It’s his quad. It was early in the game, and the level of intensity his game requires is something incredible. The quality, strength and attention you need has to be at the highest level, and those things happen unfortunately.” In an earlier response to TNT Sports, the Gunners manager said it is “never a good sign” when a player is withdrawn because of a “a really sharp pain.”
Saka has often had thigh and hamstring trouble during his Arsenal career, ranging from minor setbacks to more serious layoffs—he was injured for 99 consecutive days at one point during 2024–25, when he’d been on course to shatter the Premier League’s single season assist record.
Arsenal need more information before they can put a timeline on Saka’s recovery, but Arteta’s initial comments suggest it won’t be a quick fix and he could be out for at least a little while.
Arsenal’s Summer Transfer Window Didn’t Deliver
The failure to recruit another wide forward during the summer, and then still actively offloading Gabriel Martinelli, might come back to haunt them.
It was clear that, having won the Premier League but fallen short in the Champions League final, Arsenal wanted to upgrade. The reliable but limited Leandro Trossard was moved and quickly replaced with a new, younger model in Christos Tzolis. But that wasn’t the full plan, with interest held in Morgan Rogers, who joined Chelsea instead, Bradley Barcola, who preferred Liverpool, and Vinícius Júnior, who signed a huge new contract with Real Madrid.
It was obvious that Arteta wasn’t satisfied with Martinelli, who initially resisted an exit, and the Brazilian soon felt the ruthlessness of a determined manager who’d just broken a 22-year league championship drought. There has been what feels like an attempt from the player’s camp to rewrite the narrative and save face, but Arsenal wanted to cash in. Maybe without having a bona fide upgrade, that was actually a mistake because wingers are in short supply.
Arteta Dealing With Limited Saka Replacements
Saka was replaced in Munich by Eberechi Eze. The 28-year-old signed for big money ahead of last season is not really a winger at all, preferring to operate as a No. 10, but has been forced to become an option on the left following Martinelli’s exit without a replacement. Eze scored against Bayern, making it two Champions League matches in a row with a goal, but his numbers don’t otherwise impress and it was a similar story last season outside of north London derbies.
Noni Madueke had started against Bayern because Tzolis, loosely expected back in November, remains out. The England international hasn’t delivered either, coming into the team since the international break due to a lack of better options, and doesn’t inspire confidence.
Arsenal’s only other available winger is Max Dowman and there is no surprise at Arteta being hesitant about asking too much of a player who is still only 16 years old.
Everyone talks about Arsenal’s depth. But for as long as Saka is sidelined, whether it is days, weeks or even months, the Gunners need more from the backups they have.
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