Former Arsenal high-performance director Darren Burgess has offered a possible explanation for Bukayo Saka’s latest injury, which forced the winger off during the Champions League match against Bayern Munich.

Football London reported on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, that Burgess believes soft-tissue injuries sustained early in a game are often linked to problems that have built up over time, rather than match fatigue or an insufficient warm-up.

Saka’s latest setback has renewed discussion about his workload and the demands placed on him by both Arsenal and England. The 25-year-old has made more than 320 appearances for the Gunners since his senior debut and has become one of the club’s key players.

Burgess, who worked at Arsenal under Arsène Wenger and Unai Emery, spoke about managing explosive young players on the Arsenal Vision Podcast. He said players with Saka’s physical attributes need particular care given the intensity of modern football, especially in the Premier League.

He also compared Saka’s development with that of former Liverpool forward Raheem Sterling, noting that young players can face significant physical demands when they enter elite football without appropriate management.

Burgess stressed that he did not know the details of Saka’s injury, but drew on his experience in high-performance management.

“I don’t know anything about his injury other than, as I mentioned before, you have to pay more attention to explosive players,” he said.

He added that injuries occurring early in a match may stem from issues that developed in earlier training sessions or accumulated over a longer period. In his view, a warm-up was unlikely to be the cause.

Burgess also noted that decisions about whether injured or doubtful players should play are ultimately made by the manager and player, after consulting medical and performance staff.

His comments offer context for the discussion about Saka’s workload, but do not confirm the specific cause of the winger’s injury.