Saka withdrawn after 10 minutes with quadriceps injury in 2-2 Bayern draw, Arteta says 'does not look good at all'

Bukayo Saka was withdrawn after 10 minutes with a quadriceps injury at the Allianz Arena during Arsenal's 2-2 Champions League draw with Bayern Munich on 21 October 2026, a problem Mikel Arteta said "does not look good at all". The 25-year-old was replaced by Eberechi Eze, who came off the bench and scored Arsenal's opening goal.

Saka's fitness has been managed frequently in recent months after an Achilles injury in March, which also reduced his minutes with England at the World Cup. He missed the March international break and seven games for Arsenal before returning to help them lift the Premier League title for the first time in 22 years. He started the Champions League final defeat by Paris St-Germain but was substituted after 54 minutes, and he started only three of England's eight World Cup matches, scoring a hat-trick in the 6-4 third-place win over France. Saka also had surgery on a hamstring injury sustained in December 2024 that kept him out for 101 days and made 49 appearances as Arsenal won the title last term, despite further interruptions including pulling out of a warm-up against Leeds with a hip issue and a hamstring problem that sidelined him for about four weeks.

Saka went down in the 10th minute attempting to play a pass with nobody around him and was replaced by Eze, who scored from the left after coming on. Noni Madueke, who had started on the left, switched to the right and provided bright moments after Saka's withdrawal. Declan Rice scored a late equaliser to earn Arsenal a 2-2 draw against Bayern.

Arteta described the situation as worrying while avoiding a definitive prognosis on the pitch. He said: "They are a bit concerned. A player who has to come off with a really sharp pain is never good news but we have to wait and see." Champions League Match of the Day pundit Nedum Onuoha also expressed concern, saying: "The only negative is seeing one of their star players, Saka, having to pull up with an injury early in the first half. He was lying on the floor with his hand up and he knew he was in a bit of trouble, so now the concern will be how long he is out for."

Saka has scored four goals in 11 appearances in all competitions this season, and his presence correlates with a stronger win percentage for Arsenal. Onuoha added that Arsenal's squad depth should provide cover in the short term: "In terms of options, at this moment in time for Arsenal, it is not going to be an issue - they will miss the star power that he has, they still have plenty of other wide players who can step up and do the job while they wait for him to come back." The article notes Arsenal have invested heavily in their squad across recent summer windows, and other attacking options include Madueke, summer signing Christos Tzolis (currently out with a hamstring injury) and 16-year-old Max Dowman, who scored in the Premier League last season.

Arteta singled out Eze's contribution after the match, saying: "I think Ebs [Eze] had a great game. Not only the ball, but the actions. His overall performance, I think his commitment without the ball as well. And when the other ones come in, I think they really contributed to this. First of all, the energy. And then to bring different tools that the team needed in that moment to get something out of the game. So, very pleased again."

Arsenal will assess Saka's quadriceps problem further, with Arteta emphasising the immediate uncertainty: "we have to wait and see." The outcome of that assessment will determine how the club deploys its wide players in upcoming fixtures.