The March international break is always an anxious time for club managers. With the final run to play before the end of the season, they will be desperate for their key players to avoid injury while away with their nations.
Unfortunately for Arsenal, they have already seen star winger Noni Madueke forced into a knee brace, sparking concerns he may have suffered a serious injury for England against Uruguay. Adding to those concerns, Piero Hincapie was also forced off while playing for Ecuador.
In total, nine players have now been called back to north London early amid fitness concerns. Some may accuse Mikel Arteta of being overly cautious, but Arsenal fans will be sweating over the fitness of their stars with so much on the line this season.
Noni Madueke
As mentioned before, Madueke was hurt while playing for the Three Lions against Uruguay. The 24-year-old collapsed to the turf following a challenge from Rodrigo Aguirre and had to be replaced by Jarrod Bowen. It's unclear how bad the injury is just yet, but an MCL injury has been touted as a possibility. At its worst, that could rule him out for the rest of the season.
Eberechi Eze
Eberechi Eze was ruled out of the Carabao Cup final after picking up a knock against Bayer Leverkusen. The former Crystal Palace midfielder then pulled out of the England squad shortly afterwards. Worryingly, it looks as though he could be missing for as much as six weeks due to a calf injury. There can be no doubts over the legitimacy of his absence from the Three Lions this month.
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Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice
Perhaps in light of the Madueke injury, both Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice were then called back to Arsenal. The pair only linked up with England after the Uruguay match but have pulled out before the Japan friendly "for medical assessment."
It should be noted that Adam Wharton, John Stones, Aaron Ramsdale, Fikayo Tomori and Dominic Calvert-Lewin also left the camp early. So it's not just an Arsenal thing.
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Piero Hincapie
Piero Hincapie has become the latest player to withdraw. As with Madueke, he also picked up a knock during a game. He was playing in Ecuador's 1-1 draw with Morocco when he had to come off. Worrying footage has emerged, prompting journalist Charles Watts to remark:
"Having seen the clip, Hincapie doesn't look great. Definitely looks like some sort of muscle injury. Pulls up when trying to get back into position on a counter. Immediately signals to the bench when the ball goes out and drops down to the turf. Looks like a worrying one."
William Saliba
Star centre-back William Saliba pulled out of the France squad fairly early. A statement from the French Football Federation explained: “William Saliba is unable to join the French national team's training camp, which begins this Monday, March 23.
“The Arsenal centre-back is suffering from recurring pain in his left ankle, requiring treatment and a minimum rest period of ten days."
gabriel magalhaes william saliba
Gabriel Magalhaes
It's a similar story for his defensive partner, Gabriel Magalhaes, who was forced to miss out on travelling with Brazil this March. Having picked up a serious injury while playing for his country in the past, it will be a relief for many that caution has been shown on this occasion.
Somewhat worringly, AS report that it is not a serious issue at the moment, but if it is aggravated, his participation at the World Cup could come into doubt. It's said that he has been suffering from discomfort in his knee, which became worse in the Carabao Cup final against Man City.
Jurrien Timber
Fellow defender Jurrien Timber wasn't available for the Netherlands during the current break. Like Eze, he wasn't able to play in the cup final for Arsenal, but it appears as though his injury isn't quite as bad as the Englishman's. He has an issue with his groin, but could be fit soon after the international break, with Southampton in the FA Cup up next.
Leandro Trossard
Finally, Leandro Trossard was absent from Belgium's match as they thumped the USMNT 5-2, despite having to deal with similar coloured shirts. A statement from the Belgian national team suggested he had pulled out due to a lack of fitness, but did not specify an injury.
It read: “Due to injury, Leandro Trossard and Hans Vanaken will miss the squad’s trip to the United States. Wishing both players a swift recovery!”