Arteta worried as Saka injury could sideline Arsenal star for six week

Mikel Arteta has raised concerns about Bukayo Saka’s ability to withstand the physical demands placed on him following several injuries over the past year. The Arsenal manager is now waiting to discover how long the winger could be sidelined by his latest thigh problem.

Saka is due to undergo an MRI scan after being forced off during the 2-2 Champions League draw against Bayern Munich. Arteta said there was “quite a lot of fluid in the area”, making it difficult to determine the severity of the injury. Saka will definitely miss Saturday’s match against Everton, while Arsenal reportedly fear a grade-two tear that could rule him out for as many as six weeks.

Saka sat out a significant part of last season because of hamstring, hip and Achilles tendon problems, having also suffered another hamstring injury during the 2024-25 campaign. He has sustained 11 separate injuries since September 2023, prompting Arteta to manage his workload more carefully. Asked whether Saka was still physically capable of starting every match, the Spaniard said: “Things have certainly changed over the past year or so. The demands on every player are enormous. There are more matches, greater intensity, international tournaments and increasingly shorter recovery periods between games.”

“Bukayo did not start against Lille [in the Champions League last week] because we understood the situation. We had to play three matches in fewer than six days. These games are extremely demanding, particularly when you are competing until the final minute, chasing a result and trying to win. There is pressure to win every match, and we recognise that. We prepare the players for those circumstances and manage them as well as we possibly can.”

Between 2021 and 2024, Saka missed only three Premier League fixtures and set an Arsenal record by appearing in 83 consecutive top-flight matches. He is nearing 300 appearances for the club he joined at the age of seven. In February, he signed a highly valuable new contract that placed him among the best-paid players in Arsenal’s history.

When asked whether Saka could experience burnout after making his Arsenal debut only three months after turning 17, Arteta replied: “I do not sense that at all. However, we must carefully build the right environment around him so he can make the most of his abilities. Once he returns, we need to understand how to control his workload and determine what he can consistently handle while continuing to influence the team.”

Saka’s absence may create an opportunity for Max Dowman on Saturday. The 16-year-old has played just nine minutes in the league this season, but Arteta believes he is capable of making a difference after becoming the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history against David Moyes’s team in March.

“It is impossible not to remember that occasion and the emotions surrounding it. That memory belongs to us and will remain inside the stadium for a very long time,” Arteta said. “He is training well, and whenever he gets an opportunity to play, he demonstrates that he can affect the match. He will definitely receive minutes.”