Arsenal Afternoon Round-Up, Friday 23rd October 2026: Arteta Confirms Worrying Saka Injury Blow Ahead of Everton

Mikel Arteta held his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash with Everton, and the main talking point was Bukayo Saka's fitness (Football.London) (Football.London) (Arsenal.com). The winger, who picked up a quad injury in the 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich, has been ruled out of the Everton game (Football.London). BBC Sport report that the injury could keep Saka sidelined for as long as eight weeks (BBC Sport), while the Guardian suggest the lay-off may be closer to six weeks, with Arteta admitting the club "need to understand how to manage his load" given Saka's recent run of injuries (The Guardian).

There was better news on the fitness front elsewhere, with Christos Tzolis reported to be nearing a return as Arteta gave an encouraging update on the winger ahead of the Everton match (Football.London). Arsenal.com also published the manager's press conference in full, covering his thoughts on the squad and Martin Zubimendi (Football.London) (Arsenal.com).

Looking ahead to the team itself, reports suggest Riccardo Calafiori could be rested for the visit of Everton, with a replacement for the injured Saka reportedly already decided by Arteta (Football.London). The Guardian also note that youngster Max Dowman could feature against Everton (The Guardian).

Elsewhere, the Guardian published an opinion piece discussing Arsenal's UAE sponsorship in the context of New York mayor Zohran Mamdani's support for the club (The Guardian).

This round-up is written with the help of AI, using only the day's headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.