Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has admitted that Bukayo Saka's injury, which forced him off during the 2-2 draw at Bayern Munich on Wednesday night, "doesn't look good" ahead of Saturday's home match against Everton.
Saka, who had started in the right-wing berth, had to exit the fixture at the Allianz Arena just 10 minutes into the contest due to a quad problem. He was replaced by fellow England international Eberechi Eze, who put Arsenal ahead on 25 minutes, with Alphonso Davies equalising 10 minutes later.
Arteta's Concerns Over Saka's Condition
Speaking about the setback, Arteta said: "It doesn't look good at all but we have to wait and see. They [the medics] are a bit concerned."
The 44-year-old, who made 209 appearances for Everton and scored 35 goals between 2005 and 2011, added: "A player who has to come off with a really sharp pain is never good news. Bukayo did not start the game against Lille last Tuesday, then he started at Nottingham Forest on Sunday and it happened very early in this game."
Match Context and Everton's Challenge
Everton, who suffered their first defeat of the season, 2-0 at home to Chelsea last Saturday, face another challenging assignment as they travel to face the reigning Premier League champions at the Emirates Stadium, a venue where they have never won in front of fans.
Harry Kane then turned the game on its head as he fired Vincent Kompany's side in front from the penalty spot on 61 minutes before Declan Rice earned a share of the spoils by restoring parity eight minutes from the end.
Intensity of Modern Football
Arteta also commented on the physical demands of the game, saying: "The level of intensity that this game requires, as well, is something incredible. You could see it on Tuesday night, the PSG-Barcelona game, what happened [with players getting injured]."
He continued: "This is man-to-man for 96 minutes in every action. There's no breathing. The stress, the quality, the intensity, the level that you need … it's unbelievable. It's the highest level and those things happen, unfortunately."
Saka collapsed on the turf after a routine challenge with Davies and walked slowly off the pitch following treatment. The Guardian reports that the 25-year-old was still moving in a very limited way as he left the stadium.
