How will Arsenal cope without injured Bukayo Saka? Noni Madueke and Max Dowman in frame for more minutes

An innocuous swing of his left boot, a “sharp pain” in his quadriceps, and now an anxious wait for Arsenal. Bukayo Saka’s injury was a blot on a positive night against Bayern Munich.

Mikel Arteta offered a gloomy initial prognosis after his 10th-minute withdrawal, revealing his medical staff were “concerned” and adding that it “doesn’t look good at all” in his press conference.

The injury is the latest in a string of setbacks for Saka, who was almost always available between 2020/21 and 2023/24 but has struggled with hamstring, Achilles and hip issues since.

Saka was pictured limping as he left the Allianz Arena and his latest injury comes with Arteta’s attack already depleted by the absence of summer signing Christos Tzolis, who was said to be “weeks” away from returning from a thigh issue last week.

Arsenal’s frontline is already lighter than the club hoped it would be after they were unsuccessful in their efforts to sign Vinicius Jr and Julian Alvarez during the summer transfer window.

How big a miss is Saka?

Saka’s importance can be seen in Arsenal’s record with and without him. Since his emergence as a regular starter in the 2020/21 season, Arsenal have a win rate of 64.2 per cent in Premier Leagues games he has started compared to 53.3 per cent in games he hasn’t.

The Gunners also average significantly more shots and goals per game with Saka starting. The difference in results was especially stark last season, when Arsenal won 76 per cent of their games with him starting compared to 53.8 per cent without him.

Saka’s form has come under scrutiny lately. He was below-par in the recent Premier League wins over Nottingham Forest and Leeds. But there was a goal and an assist off the bench against Lille last week and he continues to add immense value to their attack.

He is Arsenal’s leading scorer in the Premier League this season with three goals and also ranks top among Arsenal players for shots, touches in the opposition box and expected goals. The underlying data suggests he is in fact more of a goal threat than ever.

Gradient Sports’ grading system has Saka as the Premier League’s best-performing player in terms of execution this season, above Elliot Anderson. He even ranks top among Arsenal players for tackles, showing how his value extends to his off-the-ball work.

Can Madueke step up?

Eberechi Eze came on for Saka against Bayern Munich. But his goalscoring performance came from the left-hand side, with Noni Madueke switching over to fill Saka’s spot on the right.

Madueke impressed from the left in place of Tzolis in the wins over Leeds and Nottingham Forest, scoring the winning goal from the bench in the latter game to earn his start at the Allianz Arena.

But his natural position is on the right, where, like Saka, he is able to cut inside and use his left foot. The 24-year-old adjusted well against Bayern, playing an important role in Declan Rice’s equaliser with his incisive, first-time pass to Viktor Gyokeres from that side.

Madueke offers more explosive pace and greater directness than Saka but is far less reliable technically and has frustrated Arsenal supporters with his erratic end-product.

Against Lille, for example, he made 14 unsuccessful crosses before assisting Jurrien Timber’s opener. Saka, by contrast, set up the second goal for Eze with his first touch after coming off the bench.

There is a gulf in the quality of their decision-making but Arteta values the volume of Madueke’s offensive actions. “When you talk about players being ‘clinical’, sometimes that means scoring five in every 100,” said the Arsenal boss after the Lille game.

“It’s about generating volume, more actions and getting him into the good positions, because he will decide matches.”

Eze is also capable of playing on the right but his only Premier League minutes under Arteta on that side have come as a right-sided No 8 rather than a right winger, and he may now be needed on the left, where he earned plaudits from his manager against Bayern.

“I thought Ebs had a great game, not just the goal but his actions, overall performance and without the ball as well,” said Arteta.

Time to unleash Dowman?

With Tzolis unavailable, Arsenal’s only other natural wide option against Bayern Munich was Max Dowman. The 16-year-old is considered a full-time member of the first-team squad and made history when he made his breakthrough last season.

After becoming Arsenal’s youngest starter against Brighton in the Carabao Cup aged 15 years and 302 days old last October, Dowman became the Premier League’s youngest scorer with his breakaway goal against Everton aged 16 years and 73 days old in March.

Dowman provided another exhibition of his huge potential with a brilliant two-goal performance against Ipswich in the Carabao Cup in September, joining Wayne Rooney as one of only two players aged 16 to score twice in a game for a Premier League side.

Dowman’s display at Portman Road increased the clamour for Arteta to hand him more chances in the Premier League. But he has so far taken a cautious approach. Dowman, who suffered a minor injury with England’s U19s, has only played nine Premier League minutes.

Arteta vowed last month that he will get opportunities.

“Max will have his chance,” he said. “He will have his minutes and he will have to earn them like anybody else.”

Could that time come now?

Everton, Arsenal’s visitors on Saturday, have first-hand experience of just how dangerous Dowman can be. Arsenal’s upcoming Carabao Cup and Champions League games against Fleetwood Town and Slavia Prague might present chances for him too.

A Saka lay-off would be a heavy blow to Arsenal but it may work to Dowman’s advantage as he presses his claim for more minutes.

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