Bukayo Saka to Miss Everton Clash as Arsenal Send Winger for MRI on Thigh Injury

Arsenal will be without star winger Bukayo Saka for Saturday's Premier League clash against Everton at the Emirates, manager Mikel Arteta confirmed on Friday. The 25-year-old England international was forced off just ten minutes into Wednesday night's 2-2 Champions League draw at Bayern Munich with a thigh problem and is set to undergo an MRI scan on Friday afternoon. Arteta admitted the signs were worrying after Saka struggled to leave the pitch. "He's going for an MRI this afternoon because he had a lot of fluid in the area, so it was difficult to understand the severity of the injury. We will know tomorrow," the Arsenal boss told reporters. "When a player is struggling to walk off the pitch and he's restricted in his movement, they are not good signs." Saka is not the only absentee for the Gunners: William Saliba (back) and Christos Tzolis (thigh) are also expected to miss out, though there was one fitness boost as Piero Hincapie recovered from an ankle problem sustained in the warm-down after the October 10 win over Leeds United and is available again. Arteta also used the press conference to highlight the strain of the congested schedule on his players, calling on governing bodies for greater consideration as Arsenal face three games in less than six days. The Gunners enter the weekend three points behind Manchester City at the top of the table.