Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka is expected to miss up to four weeks with the hamstring injury he sustained in Saturday's 5-0 win over Leeds United, according to a report.
The 23-year-old got off the mark for the new season in the weekend's visit of the Whites, producing a brilliant finish into the top corner from a tight angle after Jurrien Timber had broken the deadlock.
However, Saka then pulled up early in the second half after sprinting with the ball, and he was seen holding the back of his thigh while in conversation with the physio.
The England international cast a sombre expression as he trudged off the field, and Mikel Arteta admitted at full time that the Hale End graduate asking to come off was not a good sign.
On a slightly more positive note, Arteta confirmed that Saka's latest issue was on the opposite leg to the one he sustained a severe hamstring tear last season, which sidelined him for three months.
Saka out for Liverpool clash as Martin Odegaard injury update revealed
Arsenal's Bukayo Saka receives treatment for an injury on August 23, 2025
According to BBC Sport, Saka's hamstring injury will keep him out of action for up to four weeks, meaning that the 23-year-old could miss as many as six matches for club and country.
Arsenal will have to cope without Saka for Sunday's trip to Premier League champions Liverpool - their final game before the international break - while he will also be unavailable for England's World Cup 2026 qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia.
Saka should also sit out the Gunners' home fixture with Nottingham Forest (September 13) and potentially the visit of Manchester City (September 21), as well as the trip to Newcastle United on September 28.
However, captain Martin Odegaard has not yet been ruled out of the clash with the Reds this weekend, despite picking up a shoulder problem in the first half of the victory over Daniel Farke's side.
The Norway international reportedly left the stadium with his arm in a sling, and his in-store signing event at The Armoury on Monday was postponed, but he is only a doubt for the trip to Merseyside at present.
How Arsenal can replace Saka after hamstring injury
Arsenal's Noni Madueke pictured on August 6, 2025
Even before Saka made his way off the pitch on Saturday, his face told the story of a man who knew a spell on the sidelines was coming, although the issue is far less severe than the one he suffered in December 2024.
Saka's absence last season gave Ethan Nwaneri the chance to shine on the right-hand side of the attack, but the 18-year-old is now being trialled in a central role, so Noni Madueke is the number one candidate to step in for Saka.
The ex-Chelsea man has largely played off the left for Arsenal so far, but with Eberechi Eze, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard available on that side, Madueke can be expected to line up on the right for the next few weeks.
Saka's loss should also be Max Dowman's gain, as the 15-year-old - who became the second-youngest player to make a Premier League appearance on Saturday - will now be Arteta's second-choice right-winger behind Madueke.
Both Madueke and Dowman have shown flashes of their potential in their short time on the pitch this season, so while Saka's latest problem is a setback, it is by no means as devastating this time around thanks to Arsenal's strength in numbers.
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