Saka injury update as Arsenal fear losing star for two months

Arsenal are reportedly braced for Bukayo Saka to be ruled out for six to eight weeks with a quadriceps injury. The setback happened within the opening 10 minutes of the Gunners' Champions League clash against Bayern Munich on Wednesday.

Eberechi Eze was brought on to replace the club's vice-captain at the Allianz Arena. Mikel Arteta has confirmed Saka will be absent for Everton's trip to Emirates Stadium, and is urging everyone concerned to remain patient while scans are being conducted.

However, fears are only growing. This weekend's fixture could begin a lengthy spell on the sidelines for Arsenal's star winger.

The BBC reports that club medics believe Saka faces a minimum absence of six weeks based on initial assessments. There are concerns, though, that the layoff could stretch to as long as eight weeks.

Arteta offered an update during Friday's pre-match press conference, saying: "He's got another MRI this afternoon because he had quite a lot of fluid in the area, so it was difficult to understand the extent of the injury. We will know more probably tomorrow."

Asked whether it was serious or not, the manager said: "Again, we need a few more scans and opinions from the specialists.

"Obviously, when a player has to walk off the pitch, he is struggling to walk without any pain; he's restricted to movement; they are not good signs. Let's be a little bit patient so we can gave a definitive assessment and then let you know."

He was also quizzed about Saka being spotted driving an automatic vehicle into the training ground at London Colney without using his injured left leg. When asked whether anything could be inferred from that, the manager dismissed it rather bluntly.

Arteta said: "He was not changing gear either, no? I'm happy that he can drive."

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A six-week absence, backdated to Wednesday, would see Saka miss at least eight fixtures. That period includes Premier League home clashes against Everton, Hull City and Manchester City, as well as away encounters at Liverpool and Newcastle United.

Borussia Dortmund at home and Slavia Prague away are the two Champions League fixtures during that spell. Next week's Carabao Cup fourth-round clash with Fleetwood Town also appears on that list of matches.

Eight weeks would encompass away trips to Brentford and Tottenham Hotspur, plus Arsenal welcoming Bournemouth and Real Madrid. Two months would extend that absence beyond Manchester United at home.