FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Crystal Palace v Arsenal - Selhurst Park, London, Britain - December 21, 2024 Arsenal's Bukayo Saka receives medical attention after sustaining an injury REUTERS/Dylan Martinez/File Photo
LONDON (Reuters) - Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka is set to be sidelined for more than two months after an operation on a hamstring injury, manager Mikel Arteta said on Friday.
"He had a procedure, everything went well but unfortunately he will be out for many, many weeks," the Spaniard told reporters after Arsenal beat Ipswich 1-0 to go second in the Premier League table.
Pressed on a more precise timeline, Arteta added: "I think it will be more than two months. It will depend on how the scar tissue starts to heal, the first week or so of mobility ... let's see, it's very difficult to say."
Saka has scored five goals and had 10 assists in the league this season as one of Arsenal's creators-in-chief. The 23-year-old was forced off in their match against Crystal Palace earlier this month and left the stadium on crutches.
In October and November, the England international missed three Nations League games as well as Arsenal's league defeat at Bournemouth and their Champions League win over Shakhtar Donetsk due to an injury to the same leg.
(Reporting by Marc Jones; Editing by Ken Ferris)
