Bukayo Saka injury: How long is Arsenal star out for & what games will he miss?

The Arsenal star had to be substituted in the 23rd minute of the game after he went down on the ground grabbing his hamstring. He was replaced by Leandro Trossard as Arsenal went on to win the match 5-1, and was later spotted leaving Selhurst Park on crutches.

Manager Mikel Arteta provided an update on Saka's condition as he admitted that the star player will be out for "many weeks" having torn his hamstring.

“It's not looking good. He's going to be out for many weeks,” Arteta told reporters. "It's a huge blow, but it's going to be a big exercise for us to overcome another challenge."

Saka will definitely miss the Gunners' match at home to Ipswich Town on December 27, with The Sun reporting that could be the first of 15 games the England international is forced to sit out. Arteta's side then visit Brentford on January 1 and finish a run of three games in nine days when they head to Brighton on January 4. Arteta assured that the medical team is looking into the injury with seriousness and added: "Probably there are ways to prevent the injury. There are a lot of factors. We are looking at everything and what we can do differently."

This is the England international's third hamstring injury in the 2024-25 campaign after he picked up similar knocks while on international duty in October and November. However, none of those injuries were serious enough to keep him out of action on a long-term basis.

According to The Evening Standard, officials at the Emirates fear Saka won't be fit to play again until March. Arsenal will be without Saka for the busy festive schedule, and he is unlikely to return for a tricky run of games across January and February, including both legs of their League Cup semi-final against Newcastle, an FA Cup third-round clash with Man Utd, and crucial Premier League encounters against Tottenham and Chelsea.