Saka Faces Six-Week Layoff With Injury

Arsenal expect Bukayo Saka to be sidelined for at least six weeks after the 25-year-old suffered a quadriceps injury in the club’s Champions League tie against Bayern Munich, with fears the absence could extend beyond that initial estimate.

Saka was forced off during Wednesday’s 2-2 draw at the Allianz Arena and will undergo an MRI scan on Friday afternoon to gain a clearer assessment of the problem. Fluid around the affected muscle has made early diagnosis difficult, but club medical staff believe, after preliminary examinations, that he will miss a minimum of six weeks and possibly longer, according to BBC Sport.

If those early concerns are confirmed, Saka will be unavailable for a number of important Arsenal fixtures and for England’s forthcoming UEFA Nations League matches against Croatia and Spain.

Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta said more scans and specialist opinions were required before a definitive timescale could be given. He explained that a player who has to leave the pitch, struggles to walk without pain and has restricted movement is not a promising sign, and urged patience while the club awaits further assessment. Arteta added that a second MRI was needed because a significant amount of fluid in the area made the extent of the injury hard to determine, with more information expected tomorrow.

Saka will definitely miss Saturday’s Premier League home match against Everton, where second-placed Arsenal will hope to reduce the three-point gap to leaders Manchester City.

The Arsenal academy graduate has had a stop-start recent fitness record. His workload was managed at the end of last season and during England’s World Cup campaign because of an Achilles problem sustained in March. That issue caused him to miss the March international break and seven Arsenal games, though he returned in time to help the club win the Premier League for the first time in 22 years.

Saka started the Champions League final defeat by Paris St-Germain but was replaced after 54 minutes, and he started only three of England’s eight World Cup matches, scoring a hat-trick in the 6-4 third-place victory over France.

He also underwent hamstring surgery after an injury in December 2024, which kept him out for 101 days during the 2024-25 season. Last term, despite the interrupted campaign, he made 49 appearances as Arsenal claimed the title. He also withdrew from a January game against Leeds during the warm-up because of a hip problem, while a hamstring issue sidelined him for around four weeks.