Bukayo Saka holding his hamstring.
Arsenal and England star Bukayo Saka has been side-lined with an injury.
Arsenal star Bukayo Saka could face a spell on the side-lines with a hamstring injury suffered during the club's last match before Christmas. The England international sought medical attention in Saturday's victory at Crystal Palace and was forced to leave the field.
On Monday, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta confirmed that Saka, 23, will be out for "many weeks," yet stopped short of providing a definitive recovery timeline.
The forward's proposed absence into February means he may miss 10 important Arsenal fixtures - one of which is their first FA Cup game of the season against Manchester United. The Gunners love the FA Cup; they've won it a record 14 times but, with Saka out, it could leave Ruben Amorim in a prime position to pounce on the opportunity.
Key dates at risk also include the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg with Newcastle and a crucial North London Derby match vs Tottenham, not to mention the Gunners' closing Champions League group stage games.
Hopes have been raised for a return by the early February face-off against Manchester City as Arsenal strives to narrow the gap with Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table. However, the nature of hamstring injuries can result in variable recovery durations, and now it has surfaced that Saka's lay-off might extend further.
The Daily Mail has revealed that Arsenal plan to intensify their assessment of Saka's condition amid concerns that he may have suffered a tear. Already having endured a stint away from the field for a month due to an injury while on England duty in October, there is apprehension that his current problem might lead to a lengthier absence.
Arteta is, meanwhile, exploring alternatives to replace Saka in his injury absence.
"I'm putting some ideas together. I haven't got there yet, but I have a few," he said. "I want to speak with them [the players] as well and take it in a positive way. It means we're going to be different. We went through the period with Martin [Odegaard] and the period with five, six defenders missing. We're looking at it with positive energy."