Arsenal attacker Bukayo Saka has been seen leaving Selhurst Park on crutches after sustaining a suspected hamstring problem in Saturday's 5-1 Premier League win over Crystal Palace.
The 23-year-old had to be withdrawn in the first half of the London derby, having seemingly tweaked a muscle as he attempted to deliver a cross, and he immediately signalled to the bench that he had to come off.
Saka was seen holding the back of his thigh before gingerly making way, and the England international had a resigned look on his face as Mikel Arteta sent Leandro Trossard onto the field.
The Gunners still crushed the Eagles comfortably, as Gabriel Jesus (2), Gabriel Martinelli, Declan Rice and Kai Havertz got on the scoresheet, but the injury to Saka did slightly overshadow Arsenal's emphatic win.
The severity of the winger's problem is yet to be ascertained, but in a concerning sight for Gooners, he was filmed on crutches as he made his way out of the stadium, and he was struggling to put any weight on his right leg.
Mikel Arteta "pretty worried" about Saka injury
Saka leaving Palace on crutches, not looking great #arsenal pic.twitter.com/N3Jnd7bS8x
— Joao Castelo-Branco (@j_castelobranco) December 21, 2024
Arteta was of course quizzed on Saka's concern in his post-game press conference, and while the Spaniard could not confirm how severe the winger's problem was, he was not positive about the prognosis.
"He felt something in his hamstring," Arteta confirmed. "He will have to be assessed. Pretty worried about that. It's difficult to guess now. They have tested him but difficult to say how bad it is," Arteta replied.
Arsenal are already missing long-term knee victims Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu, and Raheem Sterling was an unexpected absence from the squad to face Oliver Glasner's side on Saturday night too.
Arteta also confirmed that the Chelsea loanee's absence was injury-related, and he is unsure how long he will take to recover, adding: "We lost Raheem [Sterling] yesterday, we don't know how long for as well."
Saka has only missed two matches for Arsenal this season with a previous hamstring issue, the 1-0 Champions League win over Shakhtar Donetsk and 2-0 Premier League loss to Bournemouth in October.
How long could Saka be sidelined for?
© Imago
Even the most mild hamstring injury would likely force Saka to miss a couple of weeks of action, meaning that the Englishman would not play again in 2024, although Arsenal only have one game left before the New Year.
Arteta's side host Ipswich Town on December 27, and they will be expected to get the job done against the Tractor Boys with or without Saka in the side, but a more serious problem could very well render him unavailable for at least a month or two.
The 23-year-old's hopes of playing against Tottenham Hotspur on January 15's North London derby could therefore be in jeopardy, as well as the FA Cup third-round match with Manchester United three days before.
Saka has been instrumental to Arsenal's system once again this season, registering nine goals and 13 assists in 24 appearances in all competitions, setting up a division-high 10 goals in the Premier League.
Despite Saka's early withdrawal, Arsenal still managed to set a new English football goalscoring record in their pummelling of Palace, and they will spend Christmas Day third in the Premier League table.
Ben Knapton
