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Bukayo Saka could be sidelined until Christmas with a quad injury(Image: Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Arsenal are reportedly estimating that Bukayo Saka will be sidelined for six to eight weeks with a quadriceps injury.
Saka sustained the injury during the opening 10 minutes of their Champions League match against Bayern Munich on Wednesday. Eberechi Eze came on as a substitute for the club's vice-captain at Allianz Arena and opened the scoring soon after.
Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Saka will miss Everton's visit to Emirates Stadium and has called for patience while scans are carried out. However, there are fears that this weekend's match will only be the start of an extended absence for Arsenal 's winger.
The BBC reports that club medics estimate Saka will be out for a minimum of six weeks based on early examinations. However, there are apparently fears that he could miss two months, or up to eight weeks.
Arteta said at Friday's pre-match press conference: "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." Asked whether it was serious or not, the manager said: "Again, we need a few more scans and opinions from the specialists.
Bukayo Saka will miss Arsenal's Premier League match against Everton(Image: Alex Grimm, Getty Images)
"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. Let's be a little bit patient so we can gave a definitive assessment and then let you know."
He was also asked about Saka being seen driving an automatic car into the training ground and not using his injured left leg. In response to whether anything can be read into that, the manager gave it rather short shrift.
Arteta said: "He was not changing gear either, no? I'm happy that he can drive."
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A six-week absence backdated to Wednesday would see Saka miss at least eight matches. That stretch includes Premier League home games against Everton, Hull City and Manchester City, as well as away trips to Liverpool and Newcastle United.
Borussia Dortmund at home and Slavia Prague away are the two Champions League matches during that time. Next week's Carabao Cup fourth-round tie with Fleetwood Town also features on that list of fixtures.
Eight weeks encompasses away games against Brentford and Tottenham Hotspur, as well as Arsenal hosting Bournemouth and Real Madrid. Two months takes that absence past Manchester United at home.