Arsenal travel to Brentford in the Premier League on Thursday evening as they look to complete a double over the Bees following a 2-0 victory at the Emirates in December
Ryan Taylor
13:46, 11 Feb 2026Updated 14:09, 11 Feb 2026
Mikel Arteta
View 2 Images
Mikel Arteta hopes to have Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard back fit for Arsenal's trip to Brentford
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta claims he is waiting to discover whether captain Martin Odegaard, Leandro Trossard and Bukayo Saka will be fit to face Brentford on Thursday.
The Gunners travel to west London in search of another crucial victory on the long-winding road to Premier League title glory.
Saka has been missing since injuring his hip during the warm-up before the 4-0 win at Leeds and seems unlikely to make the match - has return has already been mooted for later this month - while Odegaard picked up a niggle in the same match at Elland Road.
Neither have been seen since while Trossard was forced off in the closing stages of last weekend's 3-0 triumph over Sunderland.
Arteta said of the trio after ruling youngster Max Dowman out of the trip to the Gtech: "Max is still not available, the rest will see about them at the medical meeting."
FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page
The Spaniard added on 16-year-old gem Dowman, who is closing in on a return to fitness following two months out with an ankle injury: "He's doing very well, I think he will be with us in a week or so, pick up the rhythm."
The Arsenal head coach also reacted to the news that Mikel Merino underwent surgery on his foot earlier this week.
Merino posted a picture on his social media channels confirming that the procedure had gone gone.
Arteta said: "I think the doctors were really happy with the way it went. It's obviously a long process. You're talking about bone healing, so you need to be patient, you respect the timings.
"I'm sure Mikel is going to do everything that he possibly can to speed up that recovery. And the timeframes, we're talking about months, whether it's three or four or five, we don't know."
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta
View 2 Images
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has issued an injury update ahead of the club's trip to Brentford(Image: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Manchester City are in action before Arsenal this week as they host Fulham at the Etihad Stadium this evening.
If they're to win, the gap is reduced to just three points ahead of the Gunners' clash with Brentford.
Though Arsenal will be hopeful fellow Londoners Fulham, who have several former stars on their books in the likes of Bernd Leno, Emile Smith Rowe, Alex Iwobi, can do them a favour in Manchester.
Arteta also took the time to pay tribute to Thomas Frank after his Tottenham sacking was confirmed on Wednesday morning.
He said of his colleague: "Well, always very sad news when you have a colleague that doesn't continue doing his job because Thomas is an excellent coach, he's an extraordinary man as well and he's proven that in the league. We know where we are. We know that our responsibility is beyond just performance.
"That sometimes result dictates what happens with us. We wish him all the very best for whatever he decides to do next."
Article continues below
Welcome to 'Seeing Red' - our new Arsenal podcast
We've launched a new Arsenal podcast 'Seeing Red' with chief football writer John Cross and Arsenal reporter Tom Canton.
Each week, they will dive deep into the biggest topics as they follow Mikel Arteta's side every step of the way - and will also discuss nostalgic flashbacks before each fixture.
It's a great time to be an Arsenal fan, with the Gunners flying high under Arteta as they look to win silverware this season.
The North Londoners are going strong in the Premier League and Champions League - and they're also in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.
We'll provide insight and reaction - and have fun along the way - as Arsenal target the biggest trophies this season.
No stone will be left unturned. VAR controversy? Poor performances? Unsung hero who deserves praise? Fixture chaos? We'll have it all covered.
Click here to view our YouTube channel
Click here to download our podcasts