Arsenal have been dealt a fresh wave of concerns over the international break, with a number of key players withdrawing from national team duty while others continue to manage short-term fitness issues.
There is some encouragement for Mikel Arteta, with several of those sidelined expected to return imminently, although a handful of cases remain more uncertain.
Jurrien Timber, Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba have all pulled out of international duty, raising initial concerns over Arsenal’s defensive stability.
Timber's issue is not thought to be serious after he was forced off against Everton, with Arteta describing his recovery as a "matter of days".
Both Gabriel and Saliba are dealing with minor knee and ankle problems respectively, and the expectation is that all three will be available for the FA Cup clash against Southampton on April 4.
Leandro Trossard has also withdrawn, with the forward managing a hip problem. The Belgian is, however, expected to be fit when club football resumes.
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Greater concern surrounds Martin Odegaard, who has been playing through a persistent knee issue in recent weeks.
The Arsenal captain has already missed several fixtures, with the club taking a cautious approach as they look to manage his workload ahead of a crucial run-in.
Norway manager Stale Solbakken admitted there is still no clear timeline for Odegaard’s return, although there is hope he could resume training in the coming weeks.
Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke have also pulled out of the England squad, with head coach Thomas Tuchel admitting concern over Madueke's condition as the winger returns to Arsenal for further assessment.
"I’m worried, of course," Tuchel said. "Very sad and upset and hopefully it’s not a big injury."
The situation worsened further on Sunday, with Piero Hincapie and Martin Zubimendi becoming the ninth and tenth Arsenal players to withdraw from international duty during this window, underlining the scale of the issue facing Arteta at a pivotal stage of the season.
Arsenal fixture schedule: Next five games
Southampton vs. Arsenal | FA Cup 6th round | Saturday, April 4
Sporting CP vs. Arsenal | Champions League quarterfinal, first leg | Tuesday, April 7
Arsenal vs. Bournemouth | Premier League | Saturday, April 11
Arsenal vs. Sporting CP | Champions League quarterfinal, second leg | Wednesday, April 15
Man City vs. Arsenal | Premier League | Sunday, April 19