Arsenal face Bayern Munich on Wednesday evening with Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, and Noni Madueke all in contention to start after weeks sidelined through injury. Mikel Arteta’s pre-match press conference delivered encouraging news about multiple players returning, though managing their minutes will prove crucial given most cannot complete 90 minutes yet.
Odegaard’s Return Provides Massive Creative Boost
Arteta confirmed Odegaard is “hopeful” to be in the squad against Bayern after missing Arsenal’s last seven matches with his MCL knee injury sustained on October 4. “We’re going to have a meeting now to decide on Martin. He was very close for the previous game, so we are hopeful that tomorrow he can be in the squad as well,” Arteta stated Monday afternoon.
Martin Odegaard West Ham United Arsenal Injury How Long Knee
Martin Odegaard (via X – Premier League)
The Norwegian captain trained fully on Tuesday and watched Arsenal’s 4-1 demolition of Tottenham from the Emirates stands, suggesting his fitness has progressed significantly. His creativity has been sorely missed—Arsenal relied on Eberechi Eze’s brilliance to unlock Spurs, but Bayern’s defensive organization requires Odegaard’s specific ability to thread passes between compact lines.
Martinelli and Madueke Both Available to Start
Arteta confirmed both wingers are “in contention to start” after returning to full training. Martinelli hasn’t featured since limping off after Arsenal’s 1-0 Crystal Palace victory on October 26, missing five consecutive fixtures with his thigh injury. Madueke made a brief substitute appearance against Tottenham, his first involvement since sustaining knee problems against Manchester City on September 21.
Their availability provides tactical flexibility Arteta desperately needs. Bayern’s pace on the counter through Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sane demands fresh legs capable of tracking back, something tired players cannot sustain for 90 minutes. Arteta acknowledged this challenge: “We need to be very mindful about how many of those players we put on the pitch because most of them might not be available to finish 90 minutes.”
Gyokeres and Havertz Target Chelsea Return
Viktor Gyokeres and Kai Havertz won’t feature against Bayern but are progressing toward weekend availability against Chelsea. Arteta revealed: “Really good both of them, in the next few days they will have scans to see if we can push them for the weekend.” Gyokeres has missed Arsenal’s last three matches with his hamstring injury sustained at Burnley on November 1, while Havertz hasn’t played since August 17 following knee surgery.
Gabriel Jesus continues his ACL rehabilitation and Arsenal have organized a behind-closed-doors friendly against Manchester United on Thursday to provide him match minutes. “Yeah, he’s quite close to be fair and it’s earlier than expected,” Arteta admitted. “In the next few days he’ll have another chance with a game that we’re going to organize for him.”
Defensive Options Remain Stable
Gabriel Magalhaes is ruled out for one to two months with his thigh injury, meaning Piero Hincapie will continue alongside William Saliba at centre-back. Both Hincapie and Riccardo Calafiori trained Tuesday after being substituted early against Tottenham, with both expected to be available. Youth defender Marli Salmon also trained, providing emergency cover if needed.
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