Arteta warns Saka quad injury 'does not look good at all' after Bayern draw

Mikel Arteta has admitted Bukayo Saka’s latest injury “does not look good at all” after the Arsenal winger was substituted just 10 minutes into the Gunners’ 2-2 Champions League draw at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena on Wednesday.

Saka, 25, was replaced by England teammate Eberechi Eze, who made an immediate impact by scoring Arsenal’s opening goal 15 minutes after coming on. Harry Kane and Declan Rice were also on the scoresheet in a pulsating draw in Bavaria.

Speaking after the match, Arteta did not hide his concern. “[The medical staff] are a bit concerned,” the Arsenal manager said. “A player that has to come off with a really sharp pain is never good news. But we have to wait and see. It does not look good at all. It’s his quad.”

The injury is a significant blow for Arsenal. Saka had started all seven of the club’s Premier League fixtures this season, contributing three goals, and has been one of the division’s most productive players when fit. Across the previous two campaigns — both interrupted by injury — he registered 28 goal contributions in the league alone.

This is not new territory for Saka or for Arsenal. He missed 15 matches last season across club and international duty, arriving at the World Cup short of fitness. In 2024-25, he was absent for 25 games over a period of more than three months.

The latest setback compounds existing absences, with Christos Tzolis and William Saliba also currently unavailable. New signing Piero Hincapie is expected to be fit for Arsenal’s Premier League fixture against Everton on Saturday.

Arsenal do possess genuine depth on the right flank. Eze’s performance in Munich underlined that, and Noni Madueke and Max Dowman offer further options. England manager Thomas Tuchel may face similar selection considerations in the November international window if Saka’s recovery extends into that period.

The full extent of the injury will become clearer in the coming days, but Arteta’s words after the final whistle offered little immediate comfort.