Bukayo Saka a major doubt for Everton after thigh injury in Munich

Injury sustained: Wednesday 21 October 2026, Bayern Munich 2-2 Arsenal, UEFA Champions League. Next match: Arsenal v Everton, Saturday 24 October 2026, 15:00 BST.

Arsenal are waiting to learn the extent of an injury to Bukayo Saka, who was forced off early in Wednesday's 2-2 Champions League draw at Bayern Munich. The winger's availability for Saturday's Premier League match against Everton at the Emirates Stadium is in serious doubt.

What is confirmed

• Saka went down without any contact inside the first ten minutes at the Allianz Arena. He held his thigh, signalled to the bench and was replaced by Eberechi Eze, who went on to score Arsenal's first goal.
• After the match Mikel Arteta confirmed the problem is in the thigh. "It's his quad," he said.
• Arteta was not optimistic. "It doesn't look good at all, but we have to wait and see," he said, adding that a player who has to come off with a sharp pain is never good news.
• At the time of publication, Arsenal had not announced a diagnosis or an expected return date.

Latest status (updated Friday 23 October, 08:45 BST)

As of this update, Arsenal had not published the result of Saka's scan, and Arteta had not yet held his pre-Everton press conference. There is no official diagnosis or return date.

Since this article was first published, Roundtable Sports (via Yahoo Sports), citing other reports, said Saka was seen leaving the stadium in Munich without crutches. This has not been confirmed by Arsenal and does not by itself indicate how serious the injury is. One outlet has described the problem as a calf injury; that conflicts with Arteta's own words after the match ("It's his quad"), so MatchPulse continues to report it as a quad injury.

What is not yet known

Several outlets reported that Saka was due to have a scan on Thursday to establish how serious the injury is. Arteta was scheduled to give an update at his pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon, after this article was published.

Some reports have suggested Saka could be out for several weeks. MatchPulse has not been able to confirm this, and Arsenal have not given a timescale. Until the club or Arteta provides one, any estimate should be treated as speculation. Whether the injury is a minor strain or something more serious will determine whether Saka misses only the Everton game or a longer run of fixtures, including the Champions League trip to Slavia Prague on 4 November.

Why it matters

Saka's absence would be significant. Al Jazeera described him as Arsenal's joint-top scorer this season, and he has been central to their attack on the right wing.

Arsenal are already without two other players for the Everton game. Previews based on the club's latest information list defender William Saliba (back) and winger Christos Tzolis (hamstring) as out, while Piero Hincapié (ankle) is described as doubtful.

Who could replace him

Analysis and speculation: Arteta has several options. Eze made a strong impression after replacing Saka in Munich, and previews have suggested Noni Madueke could move to the right with Eze on the left. Some outlets have also mentioned teenager Max Dowman as a possibility. These are informed suggestions, not confirmed selections; Arsenal will not name their team until shortly before kick-off.

The timing is awkward. Arsenal go into the weekend second in the Premier League, three points behind leaders Manchester City, and have a congested schedule in all competitions. Losing a key attacker for any length of time would test the depth of the squad.

What happens next

Arsenal host Everton at 15:00 BST on Saturday 24 October. MatchPulse will report the official update once Arsenal or Arteta confirm the diagnosis.

Sources

• Yahoo Sports: Mikel Arteta drops Bukayo Saka injury update ahead of Everton
• Yahoo Sports (Roundtable Sports): Arsenal await Bukayo Saka scan results, 22 October 2026
• Al Jazeera: Declan Rice grabs Arsenal draw at Bayern Munich
• Arsenal.com: Report, Bayern Munich 2-2 Arsenal
• Sports Mole: Arsenal vs Everton preview and team news