Arsenal face a nervous wait on Bukayo Saka. The England forward walked off the Allianz Arena pitch in the 10th minute of Wednesday’s 2-2 Champions League draw, limping and clutching his left quadriceps. Fluid around the injury site has so far stopped the medical team from establishing the extent of the damage.
Mikel Arteta did not try to soften the picture.
“It doesn’t look good at all, but we have to wait and see,” he told reporters after the game.
A fresh scan was arranged for Thursday afternoon and a second specialist opinion is being sought. Until the fluid clears, the imaging cannot show the full extent of the muscle tear.
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Saka was replaced by Eberechi Eze inside the first quarter of an hour. Eze then opened the scoring on 25 minutes before Alphonso Davies levelled for Bayern Munich on 35. Harry Kane’s penalty put the German side ahead on 61 minutes, until Declan Rice’s 82nd-minute equaliser earned Arsenal a point.
‘A really sharp pain’ pitchside
Pitchside on TNT Sports, Arteta had already signalled worry immediately after the final whistle.
“They are a bit concerned. A player that has to come off with a really sharp pain is never good news, but we have to wait and see,” he said.
Saka had wriggled away from Alphonso Davies and played a routine pass out wide under no real pressure before going down.
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Dowman next in line
Arsenal’s wide options are tight. Christos Tzolis is sidelined by a hamstring issue, which leaves 16-year-old Max Dowman as the only other natural wide attacker on the bench alongside Eze.
Sky Sports points out that Dowman, Arsenal’s youngest-ever Carabao Cup starter and the Premier League’s youngest-ever scorer last season, is now in line for a bigger first-team role. He has played nine Premier League minutes this term, with Arteta pacing his introduction carefully.
Noni Madueke is expected to shift to the right flank while Eze stays on the left, with Dowman an option off the bench or in less exposed matches such as the Carabao Cup, where he has scored twice before.
Scan result to shape Saka call
Arteta’s decision on Saka hinges on the follow-up imaging and the specialist review. Arsenal host Everton at the Emirates on Saturday, 24 October, kick-off 3pm local time, with the manager’s pre-match press conference set to follow the latest scan.
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