Bukayo Saka will miss Arsenal's Premier League game against Everton at 21:00 Vietnam time on 24 October 2026 with a thigh injury picked up in the 2-2 Champions League draw with Bayern Munich. According to the Guardian, Arsenal fear a grade-two tear that could keep the 25-year-old out for up to six weeks, and Mikel Arteta has admitted he is concerned about the forward's durability.
Waiting on the scan
Saka played a pass against Bayern, went down holding his left leg and limped off; Bongda24h said it happened in the first half. Arteta said there was “quite a lot of fluid in the area so it was difficult to understand the extent of the injury”, which is why Arsenal are relying on an MRI scan for a clearer picture. The six-week figure is the club's fear, not a diagnosis.
Asked whether Saka is still robust enough to start every game, Arteta said: “It's certainly been different in the last year or so.” He went on: “The demands that we are putting on every player are immense. The amount of games, the intensity of those matches, the international competitions, the times as well between games are getting narrower.” He added that Saka did not start against Lille in the Champions League the previous week because of what the staff had seen, with three games to play in less than six days.
On the risk of burnout, Arteta said: “I don't have that feeling at all but something we have to be very mindful of is to create the right ecosystem around the player to fulfil his qualities.” And: “We really need to understand, whenever he comes back, how we are going to manage his load, what he is capable of to sustain having an impact in the team.”
From ever-present to 11 injuries
Compiled by KBVN+ from figures reported by the Guardian:
| Period | What happened |
|---|---|
| Between 2021 and 2024 | Missed only 3 Premier League games in three seasons; set a club record of 83 consecutive top-flight appearances |
| 2024/25 | Sidelined by a hamstring injury |
| Last season | Missed a large part of the campaign with hamstring, hip and achilles problems |
| February | Signed a lucrative new contract, among the best paid in club history |
| Last week | Left out of the starting line-up against Lille |
| The Bayern game | Thigh injury, possible six-week absence |
Since September 2023, Saka has had 11 different injuries. He joined Arsenal at seven, made his debut three months after his 17th birthday and is approaching 300 appearances for the club. One positive, reported by Bongda24h citing The Sun, is that Christos Tzolis is progressing well in his own recovery.
Next: a chance for Max Dowman
The Guardian reported that Saka's absence could open the door for Max Dowman against Everton. The 16-year-old has played only 9 minutes in the league this season, but became the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history against David Moyes's side in March. “He's training and every time he's got a moment to play, he's showing that he's a player that is going to impact the game. For sure he's going to have minutes,” Arteta said.
The table Bongda24h published before the weekend round:
| Pos | Team | Played | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Man City | 7 | +12 | 21 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 7 | +6 | 18 |
| 8 | Everton | 7 | +1 | 10 |
The MRI result will decide whether Saka misses a handful of games or a longer spell. Our report on the game where he was hurt: Bayern Munich 2-2 Arsenal.