Mikel Arteta has admitted Arsenal are concerned about Bukayo Saka after the winger suffered a quadriceps injury in the 2-2 Champions League draw against Bayern Munich at Allianz Arena. Saka went down in the 10th minute while attempting to play a pass with nobody around him and had to be replaced by Eberechi Eze, who went on to score the opening goal.
Arteta told TNT Sports that the injury ‘does not look good at all’ and that the club must wait and see. ‘They are a bit concerned. A player who has to come off with a really sharp pain is never good news but we have to wait and see,’ he said.
The setback comes after a recent run of fitness issues for Saka. He suffered an Achilles injury in March and missed the March international break and seven Arsenal games, before returning to help the club lift the Premier League title for the first time in 22 years. He started the Champions League final defeat by Paris St-Germain but was substituted after 54 minutes, and started only three of England’s eight games at the World Cup, scoring a hat-trick in the 6-4 third-place win over France.
Saka also had surgery on a hamstring injury sustained in December 2024, which kept him out for 101 days during the 2024-25 season. He made 49 appearances as Arsenal won the title last term despite a stop-start campaign that also included a hip injury that forced him out of the warm-up against Leeds in January and a hamstring problem that kept him out for about four weeks. Saka has four goals in 11 appearances in all competitions.
Despite losing Saka early against Bayern, Arsenal produced a strong performance and could have won late on, with Declan Rice scoring a late equaliser. Champions League Match of the Day pundit Nedum Onuoha said the only negative was seeing Saka pull up injured. ‘He was lying on the floor with his hand up and he knew he was in a bit of trouble, so now the concern will be how long he is out for,’ Onuoha said, adding that Saka’s absence will be felt because he is regarded as one of Arsenal’s best and most important players.
Onuoha also pointed to the depth Arsenal have built, saying Madueke and Eze did well on the wings after Saka came off. Madueke, who had started on the left, switched to the right and looked bright, while Eze scored the opening goal from the left after coming off the bench. Arsenal have invested heavily in their squad over the past two summer transfer windows, and their options include Madueke on either wing, summer signing Christos Tzolis, who is currently out with a hamstring injury but has started the season well, and 16-year-old Max Dowman, who scored in the Premier League last season.
Arteta was pleased with how the forward line responded. ‘I think Ebs had a great game. Not only the ball, but the actions. His overall performance, I think his commitment without the ball as well,’ he said. ‘And when the other ones come in, I think they really contributed to this. First of all, the energy. And then to bring different tools that the team needed in that moment to get something out of the game. So, very pleased again.’