Arsenal is dealing with several ongoing injury issues as they approach the October international break, including a new key concern.
Manager Mikel Arteta is eager for these problems not to escalate further during the two-week period, especially after influential captain Martin Odegaard suffered an injury while representing Norway last month.
Currently, Arsenal is third in the Premier League, just behind Manchester City on goal difference and trailing Liverpool by one point, following a comeback victory over Southampton where Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, and Bukayo Saka contributed to a 3-1 win at the Emirates Stadium.
Arteta is focused on recovering as many players as possible ahead of crucial matches against Bournemouth, Shakhtar Donetsk, and Liverpool later this month. This week, Arsenal received a boost with the returns of Mikel Merino and Takehiro Tomiyasu.
Injury Updates
Kai Havertz
Havertz played the full 90 minutes against Southampton but will not join the Germany squad for international duty due to knee issues. A statement confirmed: “Kai Havertz will miss the upcoming international matches due to knee problems. Get well soon, Kai!” His fitness is critical for Arsenal’s upcoming matches.
Potential return date: October 19, vs Bournemouth.
Martin Odegaard
Odegaard has missed the last seven matches after suffering significant ankle ligament damage while playing for Norway. Arteta remains optimistic about his recovery but has not provided a specific timeline, only noting that it’s “a matter of weeks.” He mentioned that Odegaard has been making good progress and has even shed his walking boot ahead of schedule. “Martin is very difficult… it’s difficult to give a timeline,” Arteta commented.
Odegaard expressed hope for a swift recovery: “I’m getting better and better by the day… it looks better than we were thinking.”
*Potential return date: Unknown, potentially late October.*
Jurrien Timber
Timber has been a valuable asset this season but was substituted at halftime during the Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain due to a muscular issue. He was left out of the Netherlands squad for upcoming matches, but Arteta indicated that Timber was close to playing against Southampton.
Potential return date: October 19, vs Bournemouth.
Ben White
White also missed the Southampton match, leading to Thomas Partey playing out of position as a right-back. He hasn’t played since being a substitute in the 2-2 draw with Manchester City due to a knee problem, but Arteta’s comments suggest he could return soon.
Potential return date: October 19, vs Bournemouth.
Oleksandr Zinchenko
Zinchenko has been sidelined since the August match against Brighton due to a calf injury. Arteta is optimistic about his return after the international break, stating: “Oleks probably after the international break, if everything goes well, he’s progressing very well.”
Potential return date: October 19, vs Bournemouth.
Kieran Tierney
There is still no timeline for Tierney’s return after he suffered a serious hamstring injury while playing for Scotland in June. His situation has impacted potential transfers, as he was unable to secure a full-time move following a loan in Spain.
Potential return date: Unknown.
