Saka limps off after 10 minutes as Arsenal draw 2-2 with Bayern Munich

Bukayo Saka lasted 10 minutes of Arsenal's 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich on Wednesday before leaving the pitch with a quadriceps injury, and Mikel Arteta did not try to hide his worry afterwards.

"The medical team are a bit concerned," the Arsenal manager said. "A player that has to come off with that really sharp pain is never good news, but we will have to wait and see."

The injury overshadowed a lively evening at the Allianz Stadium, where the champions of Germany and England traded goals and shared the points. Arsenal had gone to Munich looking to extend a perfect start to the Champions League league phase, according to ESPN, and they return home with a draw and a much bigger problem.

How it happened

Saka went down holding his left leg after playing the ball early in the match, the Associated Press reported. Video replays appeared to show him reaching for his thigh.

He was assessed by Arsenal's medical staff before being taken off, but there was no way back. He was substituted in the 10th minute, with Eberechi Eze sent on in his place. ESPN later reported that Arsenal had confirmed the problem was to his quadriceps.

Arteta's words after the game were as blunt as the pictures. "It doesn't look good," he told ESPN. To Reuters he went further still: "He doesn't look good at all, but we'll have to wait and see."

The 25-year-old has had an uncomfortable run with injuries. ESPN reported that he suffered hamstring and Achilles problems during the previous season, and a fresh muscle issue in the thigh is exactly what Arsenal would have wanted to avoid in October, with the Premier League and Champions League running side by side.

Eze steps in, Kane and Rice trade blows

If there was a consolation for Arsenal, it came quickly and from the man who replaced Saka. Eze needed only a quarter of an hour on the pitch to make his mark, putting Arsenal 1-0 up in the 25th minute.

The lead did not last long. Alphonso Davies equalised 10 minutes after Eze's goal, and the sides were level once more.

Bayern then edged ahead in the second half when Harry Kane converted a penalty. The Associated Press noted it was his 12th goal of the season for club and country.

Arsenal had an answer. Declan Rice equalised to make it 2-2, and that is how it finished.

A point away at Bayern is rarely a bad result, and the way Arsenal twice responded to setbacks will please Arteta. But the draw ends the perfect start to the league phase that ESPN said they had been chasing, and the manner of Saka's exit made it hard for anyone at the club to enjoy the night.

What it means

Eze's goal offers Arteta an obvious short-term solution. The substitute came on in a difficult moment and changed the game within minutes, and if Saka is out for any length of time, Eze's claim to the role is now a strong one.

Still, nobody at Arsenal would choose to be without Saka. Arteta's repeated use of "wait and see" suggests the club will not know the full extent of the damage until further assessment, and his tone left little room for optimism.

The schedule gives Arsenal no breathing space. They are back in Premier League action on Saturday 24 October against Everton, with kick-off at 14:00 UTC, and Arteta will have to decide his starting line-up without yet knowing how long Saka might be unavailable.

For now, Arsenal can only wait on the medical team's verdict, and on whether Saka's season is about to be interrupted once again.