Arsenal star Bukayo Saka has added a second big name to the Gunners’ injury list during their 5-0 win against Leeds on Saturday, but luckily for Arsenal fans the injury doesn’t appear to be as bad as first feared.
MORE — Arsenal vs Leeds recap, video highlights
Saka, 23, had already scored in helping Arsenal to a 3-0 lead in the game, and his body language was that of disappointment as trainers treated a left hamstring injury early in the second half.
He limped off the pitch, handing off the captain’s arm band he received when Martin Odegaard left the game through a shoulder injury in the first half.
All this comes days after Kai Havertz suffered an injury that seemed to fast-forward Arsenal’s pursuit of Eberechi Eze, who the club unveiled before the game.
Bukayo Saka injury latest update — How long will the Arsenal, England star be out for?
Saka’s been pretty durable for the Gunners, playing every game in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 Premier League seasons before featuring in 35 the following year.
But he missed almost three months last year with a hamstring injury and the Gunners have been hoping this is nothing that serious, and a report from the BBC says that Saka will only miss ‘four weeks’ with the hamstring injury.
That means he could only miss their huge Premier League game at Liverpool on Sunday, while he will also be unavailable for England during the international break.
Potentially Saka could be fit to return to action when Arsenal face Nottingham Forest on September 13, but more likely is the Champions League game just before their huge clash at home against Manchester City on September 21.
Mikel Arteta gives post-game update on Bukayo Saka injury
Speaking to reporters after the win against Leeds, Arteta did not sound positive at all on Saka’s injury.
“For Bukayo to come off, for sure it looks like something that is significant,” Arteta said. “He felt something in his hamstring while he was sprinting. That’s never a good sign. It’s not the same [hamstring] as the previous injury. But he’s had these injuries before. He knows exactly the feeling of that. So let’s wait.”
“Martin looked like a shoulder,” Arteta added. “He’ll have a scan tomorrow so we’ll see. We had already lost Kai [Havertz], who is a massive player. And now Bukayo and Martin, that’s why the squad has to be big.”
How will Arsenal cope without Bukayo Saka?
Arsenal have now built up their squad depth this season with purchases of Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres to join a solid crew of Saka, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli.
Young phenom Max Dowman is also creating massive buzz in red and white, and fellow youngster Ethan Nwaneri is ready to step up too.
Injuries to Havertz, Odegaard, and Saka will have already challenged that depth, and Arteta will be hoping his treatment team can work magic to get the numbers back up prior to the UEFA Champions League’s introduction to the fixture list next month.
