Arteta says Saka quadriceps injury 'does not look good' after Bayern draw
Bukayo Saka suffered a quadriceps injury in Arsenal's 2-2 Champions League draw at Bayern Munich, with Mikel Arteta admitting concern as the Gunners assess their options.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has said the quadriceps injury Bukayo Saka sustained in the 2-2 Champions League draw at Bayern Munich "does not look good at all." Saka went down in the 10th minute at Allianz Arena while attempting a pass with no opponent nearby and was replaced by Eberechi Eze, who scored the opening goal. Arteta said the player had to come off with sharp pain and that the club must wait for further assessment.
The setback adds to a recent history of fitness problems for the winger. An Achilles issue sustained in March led him to miss the March international break and seven Arsenal games before he returned to help the club win the Premier League title. He had earlier undergone surgery on a hamstring injury from December 2024 that kept him out for 101 days, and a separate hamstring problem cost him about four weeks last season.
Saka remains central to Arsenal, with the team's win percentage notably stronger when he plays, and he has scored four goals in 11 appearances across competitions this season. Despite his early exit in Munich, Arsenal produced a strong performance and threatened a late winner after Declan Rice's equaliser.
Champions League Match of the Day pundit Nedum Onuoha said the concern is how long Saka will be sidelined, describing him as one of Arsenal's best and most important players. He added that the squad's depth means the absence should not be a major problem, noting that Noni Madueke, who switched from the left to the right, and Eze performed well on the wings.
Arsenal's attacking alternatives include Madueke, who can play on either flank, and summer signing Christos Tzolis, currently out with a hamstring injury. Sixteen-year-old Max Dowman is another option, having scored in the Premier League last season. Arteta praised Eze's overall display and the energy and different qualities the substitutes brought against Bayern.
Image: Getty Images / BBC Sport
