The Matches Bukayo Saka Could Miss With Concerning Quad Injury

The Arsenal winger got hurt playing in the Champions League this week.

Bukayo Saka is unlikely to be back quickly. | Alex Grimm/Getty Images

Arsenal want to carry out more tests on Bukayo Saka, but the Gunners are reported to fear their star winger could be absent for around two months because of a quad injury.

Saka suffered in the early stages of Wednesday night’s 2–2 draw against Bayern Munich what Mikel Arteta described after the final whistle as a “sharp” pain. The England international couldn’t continue, forced off the field only 10 minutes into the match.

Arteta spoke with reporters again on Friday, building up to Arsenal’s Premier League encounter with Everton this weekend, and revealed an MRI scan was scheduled for Saka. “He had a lot of fluid in the area, so it was difficult to understand the severity of the injury. We will know tomorrow.

“We need a few more scans and opinions from the specialists, when a player is struggling to walk off the pitch and he's restricted in his movement, they are not good signs.”

BBC Sport reported that Arsenal have concerns of an absence that will last a minimum of six weeks, and potentially up to two months. The longer estimate could see Saka ruled out until Christmas. Even the best-case scenario might mean not returning until early December.

Still, Arteta called on patience for now, “so we can give a definitive assessment.”

Saka has missed games almost every season because of muscle issues, peaking at a 99-day absence at a crucial point of the 2024–25 campaign. He was on course to shatter the Premier League’s single-season assist record but was sidelined from late December into March, while Arsenal wound up finishing second in the final standings for the third year in a row.

This has naturally put renewed focus on the ongoing debate about elite players being overworked. Arsenal played 63 matches out of a possible 65 in all competitions last season and ideally want to hit a similar number in 2026–27 as they target an unprecedented quadruple.

“Obviously the demands that we are putting to every player are immense,” Arteta admitted in reference to the schedule, which includes international play outside of club commitments.

“The amount of games, the intensity of those matches, the international competitions, the times as well between games are getting narrower. So, look at us now, we have to play on Sunday afternoon, then we have to go away, we have to play on Wednesday evening, then we have to play on Saturday. You go less than 66, 67 hours between games.”

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Which Games Will Bukayo Saka Miss?

Saka will miss potentially 15 matches for club and country. | David Price/Arsenal FC/Getty Images

A six-week absence takes us into the start of December. Between now and then, Arsenal have nine matches to play across three competitions. Recovery on that timeline would potentially put Saka back healthy in the days leading up to the north London derby on Dec. 6. The Gunners face both Liverpool and Manchester City in that run. England also play twice in November.

A longer two-month absence adds the derby and four extra matches to the list of games Saka would miss, including Emirates Stadium visits from Real Madrid and Manchester United.

Carabao Cup quarterfinals are scheduled for the week commencing Dec. 14. Arsenal have a Premier League match that week, which would need rearrangement, so it may not add an extra game to what Saka could miss, should the Gunners beat Fleetwood Town in the fourth round next week.

The congested nature of the December schedule means that matches are played every few days, which could rule Saka out of more if he still needs extra time to train for fitness and conditioning once he is medically cleared to return.

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Arsenal, England Matches Saka Could Miss

Date	Opponent	Competition
Oct. 24, 2026	Everton (H)	Premier League
Oct. 27, 2026	Fleetwood (A)	Carabao Cup
Nov. 1 2026	Liverpool (A)	Premier League
Nov. 4, 2026	Slavia Prague (A)	Champions League
Nov. 7, 2026	Hull (H)	Premier League
Nov. 12, 2026	Croatia (H)	Nations League
Nov. 15, 2026	Spain (A)	Nations League
Nov. 21, 2026	Newcastle (A)	Premier League
Nov. 24, 2026	Borussia Dortmund (H)	Champions League
Nov. 29, 2026	Man City (H)	Premier League
Dec. 2, 2026	Brentford (A)	Premier League
Dec. 6, 2026	Tottenham (A)	Premier League
Dec. 9, 2026	Real Madrid (H)	Champions League
Dec. 13, 2026	Bournemouth (H)	Premier League
Dec. 20, 2026	Man Utd (H)	Premier League

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How Do Arsenal Plug Gap on Right Wing?

Noni Madueke is the obvious cover option. | David Price/Arsenal FC/Getty Images

For all the talk about Arsenal’s squad depth, they aren’t blessed with a lot of strong wing cover.

Two left wingers were sold (Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli) during the summer and only one recruited (Christos Tzolis). Efforts were made to sign Morgan Rogers, with interest in Vinícius Júnior and Bradley Barcola, but Arsenal ultimately didn’t land a superstar recruit and yet Martinelli was still actively pushed through the door.

Eberechi Eze replaced Saka on the field in Munich—and actually scored—but is primarily a No. 10 and was chosen because Noni Madueke was already on the pitch covering the other flank, where an injured Tzolis should have been.

Tzolis is at least expected back soon, which relieves some of the pressure. But Eze and Madueke have put up consistent numbers since joining in 2025.

Eze has two Champions League goals this season, but no goals or assists in the Premier League. He is not considered a starter in Arsenal’s strongest team. Last season, five of his nine Premier League goal involvements came in just two matches against Tottenham Hotspur, meaning the other four were spread across 31 appearances. Madueke has three goal involvements in nine games so far this season, after 12 in 43 in 2025–26.

Max Dowman is Arteta’s other option on the right winger, but there is a clear reluctance to ask too much of the 16-year-old prodigy at this stage of his career.

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