Viktor Gyokeres shatters records while Bukayo Saka shines for England, but injury concerns for Ezri Konsa, Kai Havertz & Christos Tzolis loom as Arsenal stars return to North London from national duty.
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Arsenal have enjoyed quite a mix of fortunes over the ‘extended international break’ as The Gunners gear up to return to North London following stints away with their respective national sides.
England - Bukayo Saka, Ezri Konsa, Myles Lewis-Skelly & Eberechi Eze
England enjoyed quite a positive international break. It started with a 2-3 defeat to World Champions Spain, but there was a feeling that England should have come away with a victory to kick off the break. England then followed up with a victory away in the Czech Republic before a DEMOLITION away in Croatia winning 0-7. They then finished up with a comfortable win against Czech Republic, this time at home.
Bukayo Saka celebrates as he puts England 0-6 up against Croatia (Action Images via Reuters)
Bukayo Saka celebrates as he puts England 0-6 up against Croatia (Action Images via Reuters)
Bukayo Saka started three of the four games over the break, registering at least 70 minutes in all of those fixtures. He scored two goals in the rout of Croatia. Lewis Skelly started in the defeat to Spain and both wins against the Czech Republic, before being given a handful of minutes against Croatia. Ezri Konsa started and played the full 90 minutes in the loss against Spain and the victory over Croatia where he kept a clean sheet, but was unused against Czech Republic. He has since returned to North London to be ‘assessed’ by Arsenal following some discomfort. Eberechi Eze played a half in the victory against the Czech Republic and played 20 minutes against Croatia as well as starting in the return fixture against the Czechs. Perhaps not having as much impact as he had perhaps hoped, but gained some more valuable minutes nonetheless. Declan Rice of course, did not feature after pulling out of the squad through injury.
Sweden - Viktor Gyokeres
Sweden had a very profitable break, registering 3 wins and a draw in their four UEFA Nations League Group B fixtures, with victories over Romania, Poland & Bosnia & Herzegovina as well as a draw with Romania in the return fixture.
Quite possibly the most profitable player in the whole of the break, Viktor Gyokeres really laid down a marker for some minutes for The Gunners upon his return. He started for Sweden in all four of their games and was simply sensational. The big Swede netted in ALL FOUR of Graham Potter’s sides fixtures, also breaking a UEFA Nations League record along the way, having scored in 7 games in-a-row, with a chance to continue the streak in their next fixtures in November and beyond. Having only played 29 Premier League minutes to date, his form will no doubt open doors to stake a claim for more minutes.
Norway - Martin Odegaard
Norway started their break well with a 3-2 victory over fellow Scandinavians Denmark, before falling to three successive defeats all by a scoreline of 2-1 to Portugal twice and Wales. Despite a disappointing break by their standards, Martin Odegaard continued to shine. Having shaken off some injury worries after a horrendous tackle from former Manchester City winger Bernardo Silva, the Norwegian captain started and played 90 minutes in all four games, registering four assists including 2 against Denmark and one against Wales and Portugal respectively. The 28 year-old continues his scintillating start to the 2026/27 campaign.
Spain - Mikel Merino, Martin Zubimedi & David Raya
The World Champions continued where they left off from the summer. They swept aside all of the competition over the break, winning 4 games from 4 to sit top of their UEFA Nations League A Group going into the resumption of league football. Merino, Zubimendi and Raya have all had a handful of minutes but have still managed to make somewhat of an impact. Merino assisted in a 4-1 win against Croatia before scoring in both their 3-1 victory over Czech Republic and grabbing a brace in their 1-2 win over Croatia. David Raya started and played the full 90 minutes in the win vs The Czechs, with Zubimendi starting against Croatia and coming off the bench for a handful of minutes against the Czech Republic and the return fixture against Croatia.
Brazil - Gabriel Magalhaes & Bruno Guimaraes
A quiet break for these two which Arsenal will not mind one bit. Brazil had three friendly fixtures in this period, where they played Australia twice and also travelled to India. Gabriel was an unused sub in 1-1 draw with Australia, before playing the full 90 minutes in a 2-4 victory against the Socceroos. He also got a half in against India, where they ran out 0-4 winners. Bruno G started in both the draw and the win against Australia, before coming on for the second half against India. He managed to find the back of the net for Carlo Ancelotti’s side in the 2-4 win against Australia. Some good minutes for both as they look to ramp things back up upon their return to N5.
Italy - Riccardo Calafiori
A mixed break for Italy, winning 2, drawing 1 and losing 1 of their UEFA Nations League A Group fixtures. Calafiori played a full 90 minutes in a 0-2 loss to Belgium, before being an unused substitute in a 1-4 victory over Turkey. He then came back into the side in a hard fought 1-1 draw with France before coming off the bench in the second half in a return fixture against Turkey, scoring a bullet header in a 3-1 victory in Bologna.
Netherlands - Jurrien Timber
It was quite a monumental break for Jurrien Timber who was back on the pitch for his national side after a sustained period out on the sideline. The Netherlands recorded two wins and two draws in their four fixtures. Timber was not in the squad through injury in their draw with Germany, before earning 10 minutes against Serbia in a landmark first appearance for the national side since November 2025, a 4-0 win against Lithuania. He then started at centre back in a 2-2 draw against Greece before being rested against Serbia.
Germany - Kai Havertz
Whilst Germany managed one win, two draws and a loss in their four matches over the break, Havertz only managed 30 minutes after succumbing to an injury after an awful challenge from Quentin Timber in the 1-1 draw with The Netherlands. The 27-year-old subsequently withdrew from the squad and returned home for scans, which showed a hamstring issue which is set to keep him on the sideline for 3-4 weeks.
Greece - Christos Tzolis
Greece were another side with a profitable break, registering two wins and two draws. Christos Tzolis started and scored in a 1-2 victory over Serbia before starting and getting around 80 minutes in a 0-1 victory over Germany. He then started in the 2-2 draw vs The Netherlands, but only lasted around 20 minutes, pulling up with a hamstring injury. He, like Havertz, subsequently withdrew from the squad to get a scan which again much like the German International, showed suggestions of being sidelined for between 3 and 4 weeks.
Very much an international break of mixed fortunes for Arsenal. Some players really profited finding some great form which is only going to benefit Arsenal, but with two of the starting front 3 out for the majority of October, Arteta is going to have mixed emotions, no doubt.
Arsenal re-start their Premier League campaign by hosting Leeds United at Emirates Stadium on Saturday 10th October in the 12:30pm lunchtime kickoff. Arsenal have won 4 of their first 5 league matches of the 2026/27 campaign. The Gunners currently sit 2nd on 12pts from a possible 15 as they look to respond to the 0-3 defeat handed to them by Brighton & Hove Albion in the final league fixture before the extended break.