Saka facing further scans as Arteta awaits 'definitive assessment'

Bukayo Saka is set for a second MRI scan on his quad injury, with Mikel Arteta admitting the club still does not have a clear picture of how serious the problem is.

Speaking at his pre match press conference ahead of Saturday's Premier League meeting with Everton at the Emirates Stadium, Arteta confirmed Saka would undergo further scans after suffering the injury in midweek's 2-2 Champions League draw at Bayern Munich.

"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," Arteta said. "We will know more probably tomorrow."

Asked directly whether the injury looked serious, Arteta was cautious, pointing to the visible signs of Saka's struggle as he was forced off in Munich. "Again we need a few more scans and opinions from the specialists," he said. "Obviously when a player has to walk off the pitch, he is struggling to walk without any pain, he's restricted to movement, they are not good signs. Let's be a little bit patient so we can give a definitive assessment and then let you know."

Scheduling concerns raised again

The timing of the injury has reignited questions over Arsenal's fixture congestion, with Arteta pointing out that Saka was already managed carefully before the Bayern trip. "Bukayo against Lille didn't start the game because we knew what was happening," he explained. "We have to play three times in less than six days... you go less than 66, 67 hours between games."

Pressed on whether a player of Saka's age and workload risks burning out before his late twenties, Arteta pushed back on the framing but acknowledged the challenge ahead. "I don't have that feeling at all but something we have to be very mindful of is to create the right ecosystem around the player to fulfil his qualities," he said. "We really need to understand, whenever he comes back, how we are going to manage his load."

Hincapie fit, Eze and Dowman step up

There was better news elsewhere in the squad. Piero Hincapie has trained fully and is available to face Everton, while Riccardo Calafiori is also set to continue after starting the last two matches. Arteta confirmed Eberechi Eze is in contention to deputise for Saka having made an impact off the bench in Munich, and hinted that teenager Max Dowman will again get minutes against the club he scored a stoppage time winner against back in March.

Martin Zubimendi, meanwhile, was told he must now fight for his place after returning from injury, with Arteta stating the Spaniard "needs to earn the right to play" despite performing well whenever called upon.

Arsenal will not have clarity on Saka's situation until after Saturday's scan results are reviewed, with the club expected to provide a further update in the coming days.

Source: football.london