It was a thoroughly enjoyable Saturday evening for Arsenal supporters, but their wholesome 5–0 victory over Leeds United didn’t come without caveats.
Most significantly, captain Martin Ødegaard and superstar winger Bukayo Saka were forced off with injuries. The latter’s setback arrived after he’d scored the Gunners’ second, which put the game beyond an overwhelmed Leeds side that struggled to lay a glove on the title hopefuls.
Saka’s major hamstring injury played a role in Arsenal’s domestic regression last season, and ensuring they were in a better place to mitigate the winger’s absence was one of the primary goals of Arsenal’s summer.
Thus, while news of Saka’s month-long absence isn’t ideal, Mikel Arteta’s side should survive in his absence. However, the England international could be out for a couple of huge games.
Games Bukayo Saka Could Miss for Arsenal
Reports emerged on Sunday that Saka’s hamstring injury wasn‘t as bad as first feared, which excited supporters ahead of next week’s trip to the home of the champions.
However, it’s since been revealed that the Arsenal star will be out of action for at least three weeks, meaning Liverpool will take on a Saka-less Gunners at Anfield. Instead, Arteta will likely turn to summer arrival Noni Madueke down the right flank, while Eberechi Eze is also set for an Arsenal debut. There’s been talk of the Englishman potentially being used wide on the left.
Fortunately for Arsenal, the first international break of 2025–26 arrives at the start of September, limiting the damage. However, he won’t be available for selection as England face Andorra and Serbia in their next batch of World Cup qualifiers.
Three weeks would’ve passed by the time Nottingham Forest rock up at the Emirates on Sept. 13, with Arteta likely to preserve Saka for the following week. Eight days later, Arsenal host Manchester City in another early-season clash that could have ramifications at the top of the Premier League table.
While it’s the hamstring that didn’t require surgery last December, Arsenal will doubtless be cautious over rushing Saka back. In between the Forest and City games, the Gunners kick off their Champions League campaign, with their first opponents of the league phase to be revealed in Thursday‘s draw.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as How Many Games Will Bukayo Saka Miss With a Hamstring Injury?.
