Bukayo Saka is set to miss six to eight weeks with a thigh injury.
The 25-year-old picked up the knock just ten minutes into Arsenal‘s Champions League clash against Bayern Munich on Wednesday night.
Saka was helped off the pitch by medical staff and now faces a period on the sidelines. The latest injury is his 11th since September 2024, having also played through a prolonged Achilles issue during the World Cup.
When asked if Saka has lost some of his robustness, Arteta replied: ‘Well it’s certainly been different in the last year or so and obviously the demands that we are putting to every player are immense.
‘The amount of games, the intensity of those matches, the international competitions, the times as well between games are getting narrower.
‘So look at us now, we have to play on Sunday afternoon, then we have to go away, we have to play on Wednesday evening, then we have to play on Saturday.
Bukayo Saka is to have an MRI scan after limping off injured in 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich
‘So you go less than 66, 67 hours between games. On top of everything that we are putting every hour is important. If they (football authorities) can support all the demands that we are putting to the players in that sense, that would be as well really appreciated from everybody.
‘And I’m saying for every team as well, because we know what we are demanding from those players.’
He added: ‘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. We will know more probably tomorrow.
‘Again we need a few more scans and opinions from the specialists. 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.’
Though on whether Saka could get burnt out by the time he reaches his 30s, he added: ‘I don’t have that feeling at all.
‘But certainly what we have to be very mindful of is to create the right ecosystem around the player to fulfil all his qualities.
‘And we really need to understand now when he comes back, whenever that is, how we are going to manage that load again.’
