Arsenal could end up paying a devastating price for their usage of Bukayo Saka after the winger suffered concerning non-contact injury that could see him face an extended spell on the sidelines.

Saka started Arsenal’s 2-2 draw against Bayern Munich on Wednesday but was forced off after just ten minutes, having injured his quad while playing a pass to a teammate under no pressure from opponents.

Mikel Arteta said after the game that the injury ‘doesn’t look good at all’ and Saka was seen heavily limping while leaving the Allianz Arena, with suggestions that he could be missing for around two months, although no formal assessment has been made yet.

Despite Saka being Arsenal’s top scorer this season with three goals in seven Premier League matches, the 25-year-old has appeared a shadow of his former self in some matches, with Gabriel being the only outfielder to play more minutes than him so far.

Crucially, this will be the third season in a row where Saka will have suffered a significant injury, leading to question marks being raised over his long-term fitness, particularly after being a virtual ever-present for Arsenal since his league debut in 2019.

There are fears that Saka’s fitness problems could now define his career, leaving him as a ‘what if’ story and raising concerns over Arsenal’s handling of future stars like Max Dowman if they do not manage his minutes more efficiently.

Bukayo Saka: Arsenal’s ironman is quickly becoming a cautionary tale

Saka’s first full season as a senior first team player saw him play 26 Premier League matches and record 1755 minutes – a number he has exceeded in all but one of his subsequent campaigns.

Arteta’s appointment as manager saw the head coach building his team around Saka and the England international missed just three Premier League matches in three seasons between 2021 and 2024.

During that period, Saka also broke Paul Merson’s record of playing 82 consecutive Premier League games for Arsenal, which was also the longest run of appearances of any active player in the division.

Only William Saliba and Gabriel have played more minutes than Saka for Arsenal in the last five seasons but the defensive duo do not have the same physical responsibilities as the forward, who is intense with his dribbling, tracking pack and general involvement in play.

Of course, Saka has been one of Arsenal’s best performers during his time in the team, hence why he is often relied on, but there was little effort made to rest him during his early career, even when the result was secured or in cup competitions against weaker opposition.

Even for country, while Saka has not been an undisputed starter for England, he started three of the four matches during the most recent international break and has often been used primarily in low-stakes matches, such as the World Cup third-place playoff in which he scored a hat-trick.

Saka’s first major injury eventually came in 2024 when he suffered a hamstring problem that kept him out for three months, while last season he also missed a combined total of 15 matches with three injuries in different areas.

The situation led to Saka being used more liberally by Arteta, having initially played him for around 82 minutes per game in 2023-24, to 70 in 2024-25 and 66 last season.

While Arsenal have looked to sign high-quality wingers in recent years to ease the pressure on Saka, the damage may have already been done, particularly when looking at a history of young players who were overused in their early careers.

The careers of Michael Owen, Fernando Torres and, to a more recent example, Marcus Rashford, saw players who were considered elite prospects but, by the latter parts of their career, were a shadow of their former selves after a series of fitness issues.

Arteta, and perhaps Saka, will argue that Arsenal’s rise and eventual title win last season will have made any sacrifice a worthy one, but, particularly with another bright youngster in Dowman coming through the Gunners team, better care will be needed to avoid a similar outcome.

Dowman, just 16-years-old, has already played more than 400 minutes of football since making his debut last year and his gametime will only increase in the coming months, particularly if Saka is absent for a long period of time.

For now, Saka will need some time to recover, which may give the likes of Noni Madueke and Dowman time to assert their authority on the team and ensure Arsenal do not need to rush back their talisman.

However, with the intensity of modern football and the regularity of games, much more rotation will be needed from Arteta and other top managers to protect their young stars from burning out to ensure a long, illustrious career.