Nine Arsenal games Bukayo Saka could miss as injury timeline emerges

Inside the opening 10 minutes at the Allianz Arena, Saka appeared to pull a muscle while playing a pass, grabbing the top of his left leg as he fell to the ground. After receiving some emergency on-field treatment, the 25-year-old was eventually helped to his feet by medical staff before hobbling off the pitch.

Speaking to reporters at the Sobha Realty Training Centre on Friday afternoon, Mikel Arteta provided an update on Saka. The Gunners boss said: "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, but we’ll know more probably tomorrow."

When quizzed on the severity of the injury, Arteta said: "Again, we need a few more scans and opinions from the specialist. Obviously, when a player has to walk off the pitch, he’s struggling to walk without any pain; he’s restricted to movement.

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As it stands, it remains unclear when exactly Saka will be available for selection again. However, the BBC have reported there are initial fears at Emirates Stadium that he could miss six to eight weeks of action.

So, with that being said, football.london has looked at the games that Saka could miss.

Everton (H) – Premier League – October 24

The Emirates won't quite be the same without Saka this weekend, but Noni Madueke has the chance to prove that he's more than capable of taking the reins on the right wing.

Fleetwood Town (A) – Carabao Cup fourth round – October 27

Saka would likely have been rested for the trip to Highbury Stadium. If Max Dowman starts, he could stake a claim for a permanent place in the starting lineup and pile a bit of pressure on Madueke.

Liverpool (A) – Premier League – November 1

Anfield is never an easy place to go, especially now without Saka.

Slavia Praha (A) – Champions League – November 4

With so little time to recharge and recover from the clash in Merseyside, Saka may well have been rested again for this fixture.

Hull City (H) – Premier League – November 7

By now, Arsenal will surely have felt the true impact of Saka's injury. Equally, though, Madueke or Dowman may have settled in the starting lineup, allowing them to build some momentum ahead of the congested festive period.

Newcastle United (A) – Premier League – November 21

Like Anfield, St James' Park is never an easy place to go, especially immediately after the international and, of course, potentially without Saka.

Borussia Dortmund (H) – Champions League – November 24

A trip to the Signal Iduna Park a few days later would have been brutal, so at least Arsenal will be back on home turf!

Manchester City (H) – Premier League – November 29

Saka doesn't have a particularly great record against Manchester City, having never beaten them in a competitive fixture, only tasting victory in the Community Shield, so it's not the end of the world. That said, however, Enzo Maresca is now at the wheel, and his side could be there for the taking, unlike when Pep Guardiola was in charge.

Brentford (A) – Premier League – December 2

This game will be played on a cold and wet Wednesday night at the Gtech Community Stadium, so whoever fills Saka's shoes will need to step up to the plate.

Tottenham Hotspur (A) – Premier League – December 6

If reports are to be believed and Saka missed up to eight weeks of action, he'll miss the north London derby. The Hale End graduate will have this fixture circled in red on his calendar.

Real Madrid (H) – Champions League – December 9

Another HUGE game. Saka played a key role in Arteta's side when Arsenal faced Real Madrid in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final, breaking the deadlock at the Santiago Bernabeu to establish a 4-0 aggregate lead.

Bournemouth (H) – Premier League – December 13

Bournemouth will have 24 hours less to recover and prepare for this clash due to their participation in the Europa League, so they, too, could make wholesale changes.