The past couple of weeks have proven testing for Arsenal, who have been beset by fresh fitness worries following their 2-0 defeat to Manchester City in the EFL Cup final.
Rather than offering respite, the international break only compounded Mikel Arteta’s problems, leaving the Gunners facing an anxious wait over several first-team players ahead of a pivotal period.
At least 10 players from the North London club pulled out from national-team duty, with Arteta’s men among the eight to withdraw from England’s camp.
Here, Sports Mole rounds up Arsenal’s latest injury and suspension news ahead of the FA Cup quarter-final against Southampton, who aim to cut Arsenal’s quadruple dream — already trimmed to a treble — down to size.
Eberechi Eze
Type of injury: Calf
Possible return date: April 22 (vs. Man City)
Eberechi Eze was forced off during Arsenal’s Champions League clash with Bayer Leverkusen, where he scored a sensational opening goal before missing the EFL Cup final.
However, the Gunners are hopeful Eze will be back to full fitness in time to travel for their crucial Premier League clash against Man City later this month.
Jurrien Timber
Type of injury: Ankle
Possible return date: April 4 (vs. Southampton)
Jurrien Timber injured his ankle in Arsenal’s win over Everton, missed the EFL Cup final against Man City, and stayed in London to recover, leaving him doubtful for Saturday’s match.
Martin Odegaard
Type of injury: Knee
Possible return date: April 4 (vs. Southampton)
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has been sidelined with a knee problem since February and was ruled out of Norway’s games against the Netherlands and Switzerland to focus on full recovery.
With the 27-year-old midfielder closing in on full fitness, he could feature this weekend against Southampton.
Declan Rice
Type of injury: Knock
Possible return date: April 4 (vs. Southampton)
Declan Rice returned to Arsenal for a medical assessment after withdrawing from the England squad, with the midfielder named among the eight players to leave camp due to a fitness issue.
While the decision is understood to be precautionary to ease his workload, Rice remains doubtful for Saturday’s encounter.
Bukayo Saka
Type of injury: Knock
Possible return date: April 4 (vs. Southampton)
Bukayo Saka was another player to withdraw from the Three Lions camp, with his departure seemingly a precautionary step to manage his workload carefully.
As a result, Arteta could choose to grant the winger additional recovery time, allowing him to regain full sharpness ahead of a demanding run-in.
Noni Madueke
Type of injury: Knee
Possible return date: April 15 (vs. Sporting Lisbon)
Noni Madueke suffered an injury during the Three Lions’ draw against Uruguay, with the winger’s condition looking worrying as he was seen leaving the stadium.
However, scans suggest Arsenal have avoided the worst-case scenario, but Madueke is expected to miss this weekend’s game.
Piero Hincapie
Type of injury: Muscle
Possible return date: Unknown
Piero Hincapie picked up a muscle problem in Ecuador’s draw against Morocco, forcing him to withdraw and miss the Tricolours’ second game of the international window.
The 24-year-old is being assessed to determine the extent of the issue and is highly likely to be unavailable this weekend.
Martin Zubimendi
Type of injury: Knee
Possible return date: April 4 (vs. Southampton)
Despite featuring off the bench in a brief cameo in Spain’s victory over Serbia, Martin Zubimendi withdrew from camp due to ‘’discomfort in his right knee’’, leaving him doubtful for Saturday’s trip to Southampton.
Gabriel Magalhaes
Type of injury: Knee
Possible return date: April 4 (vs. Southampton)
Gabriel withdrew from the Brazil squad before reporting to camp as a result of pain in his right knee, despite playing the full 90 minutes in Arsenal’s EFL Cup final, and as a result, the defender remains uncertain to feature on Saturday.
William Saliba
Type of injury: Ankle
Possible return date: April 4 (vs. Southampton)
Like his partner in central defence, William Saliba also withdrew before reporting to camp, missing France’s games against Brazil and Colombia due to a recurring ankle issue.
The French Football Federation (FFF) confirmed that the defender required approximately 10 days for recovery, meaning he should be in contention to feature on Saturday.
Leandro Trossard
Type of injury: Unspecified
Possible return date: April 4 (vs. Southampton)
Leandro Trossard pulled out of the Belgium squad due to an unspecified injury – likely as a precautionary move to manage his workload – and it remains to be seen if he will be available for the weekend.
Mikel Merino
Type of injury: Foot
Possible return date: Unknown
Still recovering from a bone fracture in his right foot that required surgery, Mikel Merino will miss Saturday’s game once again, with the Spanish midfielder targeting a return before the end of the season.