Arsenal fear Saka could be out for two months

Arsenal fear Bukayo Saka could miss a minimum of six weeks with the quadriceps injury he sustained in their Champions League tie against Bayern Munich.

The 25-year-old will undergo an MRI scan on Friday afternoon to better assess the problem, which forced him off in Wednesday’s 2-2 draw at the Allianz Arena.

Fluid around the affected muscle has made diagnosing the injury difficult, but club medics are estimating, after early examinations, Saka will miss a minimum of six weeks and it could be even longer.

If those early concerns are realised, he will miss a clutch of key games for the Gunners, as well as England’s forthcoming Uefa Nations League matches against Croatia and Spain.

“We need a few more scans and opinions from the specialists,” said Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta.

“When a player has to walk off the pitch, he is struggling to walk without any pain, and is restricted to movement; it is not a good sign. Let’s be a little bit patient so we can give a definitive assessment.

“He’s got another MRI as there was quite a lot of fluid in the area so it was quite difficult to understand the extent of the injury. We will know more tomorrow.”

Saka will miss Saturday’s home Premier League match against Everton, where second-placed Arsenal will hope to close a three-point gap on leaders Manchester City.

The Arsenal academy product has had fitness issues in recent months and his game time was managed at the end of last season, as well as with England at the World Cup, because of an Achilles injury he suffered in March.

He missed the March international break and seven games for the Gunners, but returned to help them lift the Premier League title for the first time in 22 years.

Saka started the Champions League final defeat by Paris St-Germain but was substituted after 54 minutes, and only started three of England’s eight games at the World Cup - scoring a hat-trick in the 6-4 third-place win over France.

The forward also had surgery on a hamstring injury he picked up in December 2024, which kept him out for 101 days in the 2024-25 campaign.

He made 49 appearances as Arsenal won the title last term, despite a stop-start season. As well as the Achilles issue, Saka pulled out of a game in January against Leeds with a hip injury in the warm-up, while a hamstring problem also kept him out for about four weeks.

The fact Saka needs follow-up scans and is likely to be out for up to eight weeks is a major blow for Arteta and Arsenal.

The Gunners boss had been speaking about how the player had been adapting his positioning to be more of a regular goalscorer for the club in recent weeks and the winger has scored four goals in 11 appearances so far this season.

But now Saka has gone down with another muscle injury there are questions about whether he still has the robustness that made him a certain starter in the Arsenal team.

He also had his game time managed at the World Cup in the summer with England and Arteta acknowledged Saka’s robustness and availability has “certainly been different in the last year or so”.

Arsenal tried to sign a world-class forward to level up their frontline in the summer but were unable to do so, with unsuccessful pursuits of Vinicius Jr and Julian Alvarez.

They did bring in Greece international Christos Tzolis, but he is currently injured too.

That has left them with Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze and 16-year-old Max Dowman as alternative wing options.

Teenager Dowman has had limited minutes this season but Arteta spoke glowingly of his talent and ability to impact matches.

Carrick refuses to rule out dropping Fernandes in emotional address

Under-pressure Manchester United boss Michael Carrick delivered a passionate and emotional address lasting five minutes and 30 seconds as he battles to save his job.

And he refused to rule out dropping skipper Bruno Fernandes for Sunday’s Premier League meeting with Bournemouth at Old Trafford.

Instead of taking his seat and answering questions as normal in Friday’s scheduled pre-match media conference at Carrington, Carrick said he wanted to start himself.

It was a strategy former boss Sir Alex Ferguson used, although the legendary Scot rarely spoke at such length.

After a run of seven games without a win, culminating in Wednesday’s shocking 4-1 Champions League defeat by Como, and attacks on the club’s hierarchy by defender Lisandro Martinez and then Fernandes’ condemnation of his own tactics in Italy, Carrick wanted to reaffirm his view of what United stood for.

“Recently we haven’t had a good time, I think that’s pretty obvious,” he said.

“Wednesday was a bad night, and it hurt me to see us play like that. It was unacceptable.

“My responsibility is to get a team on the pitch that represents this football club, and the supporters, and they can be proud of in the identity we show. We have gone away from that recently. It’s important we all recognise that.

“The foundation and values of this football club have been etched for many years. I totally understand and get every single one of them.

“There’s a resilience about this football club that runs very deep. I’ve seen it with my own eyes, I’ve felt it, I’m know some of the individuals closely who have been a big part of that history.

“Entitlement cannot be at this football club.

“It was based on being humble, having humility, and hard work. We can never lose that, and I won’t let us lose that.”

Asked about Fernandes and whether he has considered dropping him, a defiant Carrick added: “The most important thing for me is the team, the squad and dynamics in the squad.

“It’s about the football club. I’ll always do what is best for the football club.”

Club sources said on Thursday Fernandes would not have the captaincy taken away or be fined for his post-match observations following the Como defeat.

In a further interview on Wednesday night with Sky Italia, the Portugal international referred to Manchester United’s storied history.

“At this club, there’s too much focus on what’s been done in the past,” said Fernandes. “But we’re not those people anymore. The club and the players need to understand that.

“Unfortunately for us - especially when it comes to the players - those who join expect to win trophies, win games, and reach the highest level, that’s been very difficult at this club in recent years.”

Whether Carrick was aware of Fernandes’ comments about United’s history before he spoke was uncertain.

When asked again if he would take the captaincy away from the 32-year-old midfielder, Carrick repeated: “I will always do what is best for the football club.”

He then refused to say whether he had spoken to Fernandes about his conduct, adding: “I don’t think this is the time to go into too much detail.”

Despite the challenge to his authority, Carrick said the United dressing room was not divided.

“No, it’s not,” he added. “We just need to get back to doing what we do best.”

Carrick also said the club were ‘doing everything’ to support Fernandes and his family, whose Cheshire home was burgled on Wednesday.

“Thankfully they weren’t directly affected even though it is an awful situation.”

Carrick named legendary United figures such as Ryan Giggs, Wayne Rooney and Ferguson as examples of the humility, sacrifice and hard work expected of United players.

That was at odds with his post-match criticism on Wednesday, when he said if you don’t run forward or back properly, you will not win games.

Asked how he would persuade his current squad to adhere to the values expected and he demanded, Carrick added: “It’s clear as day.

“I’m not telling you anything new. I haven’t invented that. That’s the make-up of any good football team. You have to earn the right to be better than your opponent. That never changes.

“What we look like as a group is my responsibility. That’s the privileged position I am in. I’ll hold that umbrella for me to get wet and everyone else to stay dry.

“[Wednesday] hurts an awful lot, but that doesn’t stop me. That hurt is used as pure motivation and inspiration to want more, expect more and get us going in a different direction.”

Kompany taken to hospital after collapsing at training

Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany was taken to hospital after collapsing as he watched the club’s second team train on Friday.

The 40-year-old had been unwell with a virus and missed the pre-match news conference on Tuesday prior to Bayern’s Champions League game against Arsenal.

The former Manchester City and Belgium defender was subsequently on the touchline for the match on Wednesday.

“Vincent Kompany had to seek medical treatment on Friday after collapsing during training for FC Bayern’s amateurs,” said a statement from the Bundesliga club.

“The first-team coach had been watching the second team’s session.

“Kompany will undergo thorough examination in the hospital and remain in medical care.

“For the time being, his coaching staff will manage training and match operations.”

Bayern’s next game is against Freiburg in the German top flight on Sunday.

“Vincent Kompany’s health is our top priority. We at FC Bayern will do everything we can to ensure his speedy recovery,” said Bayern sporting director Max Eberl.

“Vinnie will receive all the necessary medical care and support, and all the time he needs.

“His coaching team, in whom we have complete confidence, will take over his duties. Everyone at FC Bayern wishes Vinnie a speedy recovery.”

Aaron Danks, one of Kompany’s assistants, took the pre-match news conference for Bayern before the Arsenal game.

German football journalist Taufig Khalil told BBC Radio 5 Live that Kompany had been “suffering with the virus for about a week”.

He added: “The thing started last weekend on Saturday against Leipzig, and that’s the first time we saw Vincent Kompany [when] he didn’t look very well.

“He didn’t do the press conference after, and Max Eberl told us that he’s suffering with a virus.

“Everybody was really surprised that Vincent Kompany was standing there with his black jacket in the pouring rain of Munich on Wednesday night against Arsenal. Everybody expected Aaron Danks to be there.

“The problem was that maybe you couldn’t bench Vincent Kompany, the game was too important for him.

“Bayern Munich just told us that he’s in stable conditions. There was a helicopter involved in the whole thing, which landed on the training ground at Bayern Munich, but he was not brought into the hospital by helicopter. They brought him with a medical car and he will be now there.”

Kompany left his role as Burnley manager to take over at Bayern in May 2024, succeeding current England manager Thomas Tuchel.

He had won the Championship with Burnley in 2022-23 and, despite the Clarets being relegated from the Premier League under him the following season, Kompany was appointed by the Bundesliga club.

He has led Bayern to the German top-flight title in the past two seasons and reached the 2025-26 Champions League semi-finals before being beaten by eventual winners Paris St-Germain.

Kompany spent 11 years at Manchester City as a player, winning four Premier League titles, two FA Cups and four League Cups.

“Everyone at Manchester City is wishing a speedy recovery to our former captain and club legend, Vincent Kompany,” said City in a post on social media. “Get well soon, Vinny.”

“Everyone here at Burnley FC sends our best wishes to Vincent and we wish him a speedy recovery,” said a Burnley statement.

PSG v Lyon moved as Paris prepares for more protests

Paris St-Germain’s Ligue 1 match against Lyon has been pushed back 24 hours to Monday as the French capital prepares for another weekend of protests.

The fixture at the Parc des Princes in Paris had been scheduled to kick off at 19:45 GMT on Sunday but will instead take place at 20:30 on Monday.

The Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) announced the postponement in a statement on Friday after French police prohibited the fixture from taking place on its original date.

French authorities are preparing a major security operation for demonstrations planned for Saturday.

Around 550,000 people took part in demonstrations last Saturday to protest rising fuel prices, education standards and the cost of living, which have escalated after weeks of student protests.

Marches took place in several major French cities, including Paris, backed by unions and student groups, and were marred by some incidents of violence, looting and destruction.

The security challenge is further complicated by Sunday’s NFL match between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints at the Stade de France, an event expected to require a significant police deployment.

The game will be played in Saint-Denis, about 10km from Place de la Bastille, where the protests are expected to begin.

The disruptions have already affected France’s domestic football schedule with Toulouse’s Ligue 1 home game against Troyes moved from Saturday to Sunday at the request of authorities.

Reigning French and European champions PSG are second in the standings after seven matches, while Lyon lead the table on 14 points, ahead of the holders on goal difference.

The match will also now be played on the same day as the Ballon d’Or ceremony in London.

Injured PSG pair Ousmane Dembele, the 2025 winner, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia are among the contenders for the award.

Leicester's Hutchinson keen on move to Lazio

Teenage Leicester City striker Lorenz Hutchinson is keen on a move to Italian side Lazio when his contract expires.

The 18-year-old was the subject of a £1.2m bid from the Serie A club on transfer deadline day, which included a 20% sell-on clause.

However, despite Hutchinson’s desire to make the move, the deal collapsed over details related to payments to his entourage.

Two months on, key figures at Leicester expect him to leave and Hutchinson remains keen on a move to Lazio.

He is able to sign a pre-contract agreement with overseas clubs in January.

Hutchinson made his Foxes first-team debut this season as a substitute in an EFL Trophy victory over Fulham Under-21s, but has yet to appear in the league this season.

At youth level, Hutchinson scored 15 goals and delivered five assists in the Under-18s Premier League last season.