Emirates Stadium
Emirates Stadium
Arsenal have suffered two fresh injury setbacks during the October international break, leaving Mikel Arteta with selection decisions ahead of their Premier League meeting with Leeds United on October 10th and potentially the games that follow too.
The latest Arsenal injury update centres on Kai Havertz and Christos Tzolis, who both picked up hamstring problems while representing their countries. However, several important players have made encouraging progress at London Colney.
Havertz suffered a muscle injury during Germany’s 1-1 draw against the Netherlands. He subsequently withdrew from the national squad and returned to North London for further medical assessments. Early reports suggest the forward could miss between two and four weeks, creating another selection headache for Arteta.
Tzolis suffered a separate setback during Greece’s Nations League meeting with the Netherlands. The winger pulled up after just 18 minutes with a hamstring problem. Initial assessments indicate a Grade 1 strain, which could keep him out for two to three weeks despite Tzolis wanting to continue before listening to his manager and coming off the field.
Ezri Konsa has returned to Arsenal after withdrawing from the England squad for the Czechia match after sustaining a blow to his quad during the Croatia game having managed the issue in the first two games. Seemingly it’s not too serious according to the England manager and should not rule him out of Saturday’s clash with Leeds at the Emirates. However it’s enough to warrant him returning to North London for treatment and rest following a stellar performance against the Croats.
Ødegaard and Rice returns provide welcome boost
There was better news regarding Martin Ødegaard, who recovered from an injury scare following a challenge from Bernardo Silva during Norway’s meeting with Portugal.
Although the midfielder missed some training, he completed 90 minutes against Wales and registered an assist. His availability gives Arteta an important midfield boost.
Declan Rice withdrew from England duty as a precaution after experiencing minor physical discomfort. However, the midfielder continues to train and expects to return for Arsenal’s meeting with Leeds.
Meanwhile, Ben White, Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapié have returned to senior training after spending the international window working on their respective rehabilitation programs. Their availability could strengthen Arsenal’s defensive options considerably.
Jurrien Timber has further improved his match fitness after playing more than 70 minutes for the Netherlands against Greece.
William Saliba remains the major concern. The French defender continues to recover from a back injury, with a November return currently expected according to reports on the Official Premier League website covering Arsenal players who are still nursing injuries.
Could Arsenal’s transfer plans change after these injuries?
Arsenal’s defensive recruitment plans deserve attention, particularly with reports linking the club with Como centre-back Jacobo Ramón. The highly rated youngster could be looking to move next summer, giving Arsenal another potential option for their defence should they move for him.
Meanwhile, Viktor Gyökeres has generated fresh transfer discussion, with January emerging as a possible departure date for the Swedish striker. His situation adds another interesting subplot to Arsenal’s attacking plans.
Arsenal currently sit second with 12 points from five matches, behind Manchester City, who have collected 15. After four consecutive victories, their 3-0 defeat against Brighton is hopefully just a blip and a wake up call.
Can Arsenal stay on track despite these injury setbacks?
Arteta should avoid rushing returning players, particularly Havertz and Tzolis. However, the recoveries of Ødegaard, Rice and Timber offer genuine encouragement. Konsa could be forced to miss the match but with several defenders returning to training, Arsenal should have enough depth to handle Leeds, Forest and Everton provided their available attackers deliver.
Arsenal’s next 5 fixtures also include a home game vs Lille and an away game vs Harry Kane’s Bayern Munich both in the Champions League which should be pretty tasty.
See them all below and on our Arsenal Team Page where you’ll find more news, latest Arsenal results, the Premier League table plus profiles for all the squad players.