Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has revealed that the quadriceps injury sustained by Bukayo Saka "does not look good at all" following the Gunners' 2-2 Champions League draw against Bayern Munich. The 25-year-old winger went down in the 10th minute at the Allianz Arena while attempting to play a pass with nobody around him. He was immediately replaced by Eberechi Eze, who netted the opening goal before Declan Rice struck a late equaliser. Speaking to TNT Sports, Arteta admitted the club are worried, stating: "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."
The setback comes after a series of fitness interruptions for Saka, who has scored four goals in 11 matches across all competitions this season. His minutes were carefully managed late last term and with England at the World Cup due to an Achilles injury suffered in March, which ruled him out of seven Arsenal fixtures and the March international window. Saka also endured hamstring surgery in December 2024 that sidelined him for 101 days, missed around four weeks with another hamstring problem, and pulled out of a warm-up against Leeds in January with a hip issue. Despite those disruptions, he featured 49 times last season to help the Gunners secure their first Premier League crown in 22 years and started their Champions League final defeat against Paris St-Germain.
Assessing the blow, Champions League Match of the Day pundit Nedum Onuoha identified Saka's premature exit as the primary blemish on an impressive night where Arsenal dominated possession. "The only negative is seeing one of their star players, Saka, having to pull up with an injury early in the first half," Onuoha remarked, noting the winger was on the ground with his hand raised in distress. While acknowledging Arsenal's win percentage improves significantly with Saka available, Onuoha argued that the squad's construction will help absorb the loss, adding that "they still have plenty of other wide players who can step up and do the job while they wait for him to come back."
Following Saka's departure, Noni Madueke switched from the left wing over to the right flank, while Eze took over on the left and earned praise from Arteta for his energy, actions, and commitment off the ball. Arsenal have invested heavily over the previous two summer windows and possess options across the front line, including 16-year-old Max Dowman, who scored in the Premier League last season, and summer recruit Christos Tzolis once he recovers from an ongoing hamstring issue. For now, Arteta was delighted by the resilience shown in Munich, observing that his replacements brought the "different tools that the team needed in that moment to get something out of the game."