"doesn’t look good at all," Mikel Arteta said after Bukayo Saka was forced off after just 10 minutes in Wednesday’s Champions League clash against Bayern München. Saka signalled to the Arsenal bench after a long-range pass and was replaced by Eberechi Eze. Arteta later said the winger has another MRI because there was quite a lot of fluid in the area, and Arsenal will not give a definitive assessment before Arsenal vs Everton.
Arteta's scan wait
The strongest line from Arteta was not the mood, but the process. "We are a bit concerned, Whenever a player has to come off with sharp pain, it’s never good news, but we’ll have to wait and see," he said, before adding that Arsenal need "a few more scans and opinions from the specialists". That leaves the club in a holding pattern heading into Saturday.
Saka has already made 7 Premier League appearances this season and played 607 minutes, with 2 league goals and 0 assists. He has also made 3 Champions League appearances, so this is not a minor interruption in his season. Everton arrive with the uncertainty still unresolved.
Hincapié's possible return
There is a small lift elsewhere for Arsenal. Piero Hincapié has missed the last two matches with an ankle injury, but Arteta said he can be available for Everton if he trains over the next few days. He is back on the grass doing individual training, which gives Arsenal at least one defensive option to monitor.
Even with that boost, the more important issue is Saka. Arteta has not ruled him out, but he has also made it clear the club still does not know the full extent of the quad issue before Saturday.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
