Arsenal could be without Bukayo Saka for up to eight weeks after he suffered a thigh injury in Wednesday's Champions League draw against Bayern Munich. Saka was forced off after just 10 minutes, clutching his thigh after playing a long-range pass, and was replaced by Eberechi Eze.
Further scans needed
Manager Mikel Arteta said on Friday that Saka was undergoing further scans to determine the extent of the issue, noting that the player had fluid in the area. Arteta added that when a player is struggling to walk without pain and is restricted in movement, these are not good signs, and asked for patience before giving a definitive assessment.
According to The Athletic, Saka is expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks, potentially ruling him out until after Christmas.
Games Saka is set to miss
The timeline could rule Saka out of 13 games, including Premier League fixtures away to Liverpool and at home to Manchester City, as well as the north London derby at Tottenham in early December. He could also miss the home game against Manchester United, Arsenal's final match before Christmas.
The full list of matches Saka is set to miss includes Everton (H) on 24 October, Fleetwood Town (A) on 27 October, Liverpool (A) on 1 November, Slavia Prague (A) on 4 November, Hull (H) on 7 November, Newcastle United (A) on 21 November, Borussia Dortmund (H) on 24 November, Manchester City (H) on 29 November, Brentford (H) on 2 December, Tottenham (A) on 6 December, Real Madrid (H) on 9 December, Bournemouth (H) on 13 December, and Manchester United (H) on 20 December. In the Champions League, he is set to miss the visits of Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid.
Saka's recent injury history
Saka has made 11 appearances for Arsenal this campaign, scoring four goals and providing one assist in all competitions. He was one of Arsenal's most robust players for years, starting 87 consecutive games between 2021 and 2023, but has suffered various muscular injuries recently.
He required hamstring surgery at the end of 2024, and another hamstring issue kept him out for four weeks early last season. He also missed three matches with a hip problem in January and five matches in April due to Achilles tendinitis. His involvement at the World Cup was impacted by that issue, as he started just two of seven matches before scoring a hat-trick in the third-place play-off against France.
