Matt Scrafton's verdict on Burnley's 2-0 defeat to Arsenal
The latest Arsenal injury news ahead of matches against Slavia Prague and Sunderland - with updates on Viktor Gyökeres, Martín Zubimendi and more.
Arsenal’s 2-0 victory over Burnley at Turf Moor was their ninth win in a row and saw them keep their seventh consecutive clean sheet, but it may have come at a cost with both Viktor Gyökeres and Martín Zubimendi substituted during the match due to apparent injuries.
If the two summer signings both prove to be unavailable for this week’s games against Slavia Prague in the Champions League and Sunderland in the Premier League, then Mikel Arteta could be without as many as seven first-team players as he looks to stretch the Gunners’ impressive run of form.
We’ve got the latest updates on all of Arsenal’s injured players ahead of the coming week’s games below, along with their expected return dates when available.
How bad are Viktor Gyökeres & Martín Zubimendi’s injuries for Arsenal?
No sooner had summer signing Gyökeres ended his top-flight goal drought than he sustained an injury, and had to be replaced by Mikel Merino at half-time as a consequence.
Arteta told the media after the game that the Swedish striker had felt “a little niggle… something muscular” and added that the club would have to “wait to learn the extent” of the problem. As it stands, it is unclear as to whether Gyökeres will miss any further time.
Midfielder Zubimendi, meanwhile, was substituted with 12 minutes remaining against Burnley and, according to Arteta, asked to be taken off after feeling an issue of his own. Arteta similarly said that he would have to “wait and see” whether the problem was serious or not.
As it stands, it is unclear whether either player will be out for any length of time or whether they will be ready to return to action immediately – but Zubimendi, by coincidence, is suspended for the midweek match against Slavia Prague anyway after collecting three yellow cards during the league stage of the Champions League.
Will Gabriel Martinelli or Martin Ødegaard be fit to face Sunderland?
Another recent injury victim is winger Gabriel Martinelli, who was seen limping after the recent 1-0 win over Crystal Palace and has missed the last two games as a result. Arteta told the media that Burnley game was “too soon” for Martinelli, and that “we don’t know” how long he will be out for. Arsenal have no divulged no information about the nature of the injury, and there is no way to know whether he will be back in time to face Slavia Prague or Sunderland.
Club captain Martin Ødegaard is expected to miss both matches as he continues his recovery from a knee injury, with a comeback after the November international break likely. It is hoped that he will be available to play against Tottenham Hotspur on 23 November.
The North London Derby is also a possible target date for Noni Madueke and Kai Havertz (both knee), with the latter said to be pushing for an early return from his latest injury. Arteta recently told the media that he expected both players to be “quite close” to a return after the international matches later this month.
The final absentee is Gabriel Jesus, who is continuing his rehabilitation from a ruptured ACL. He is believed to be on course to return to training towards the end of December, although he is unlikely to play for Arsenal again until early 2026.
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