Arsenal are aiming to welcome both captain Martin Odegaard and forward Kai Havertz back to face Tottenham this weekend.
The Gunners were boosted by the return of Riccardo Calafiori for the 2-2 draw against Wolves on Wednesday after the defender has pulled out of the starting line-up for the FA Cup fourth round win over Wigan.
Calafiori was a late replacement for Leandro Trossard - who may now be a doubt for the north London derby - at Molineux but could not prevent Arsenal from conceding a stoppage time equaliser having lead 2-0.
And now Mikel Arteta is hoping to be able to call upon two more first-team stars for the short trip across north London on Sunday.
Mikel Merino remains sidelined for the foreseeable, having undergone surgery a few weeks ago, but youngster Max Dowman will soon be back in first-team contention.
With that in mind, here’s the latest arsenal-injury-news">Arsenal injury news and potential return dates...
Martin Odegaard
Odegaard completed 90 minutes at Brentford but was seen limping afterwards and subsequently missed the win over Wigan due to a knee issue.
Writing in Arsenal’s matchday programme ahead of the Wigan game, Odegaard said: "I picked up a bit of an injury when they [Brentford] scored their goal, but hopefully it’s not too bad. We’ll see how it goes in the build-up to today's game and over the next few days.
“I tried to clear the ball as it came down, but instead kicked into the player a bit, and ended up over-stretching my leg, which pinched the knee. I was able to carry on, but on Friday morning it was very sore, so I was worried of course, but thankfully it looks like it’s not too bad."
Arteta issued a positive update on Odegaard on Tuesday, with Arsenal hopeful he will return in time to face Spurs.
”For Wolves he is not going to be fit,” said Arteta. “But for Sunday we are very hopeful he can be with us.”
Potential return date: Sunday February 22, vs Tottenham (A)
Kai Havertz
Havertz’s muscular problem has been confirmed as a hamstring injury by Mikel Arteta.
The forward has only recently returned from a serious knee injury and looked to be finding his rhythm again after two goals and two assists in his last four outings.
Havertz picked up an issue against Sunderland on February 7 and subsquently missed the draw at Brentford and win over Wigan, but Arteta has confirmed he could be back for the north London derby.
Arteta said on Tuesday: “Kai is one that again for the weekend is a possibility, so looking forward to having him in the squad.”
Potential return date: Sunday February 22, vs Tottenham (A)
Leandro Trossard
Leandro Trossard was forced off during the 2-2 draw with Wolves on Wednesday night as Arsenal dropped more points in the Premier League title race.
Trossard was named on the bench at Molineux but was introduced to the action in the 73rd minute, as a replacement for Saka who had limped off with what appeared to be an issue with his knee.
However, the Belgian forward’s involvement did not last long as he came off worse during a collision with Wolves defender Santiago Bueno.
Trossard received treatment from the Arsenal medical staff before getting back to his feet and was then replaced by Calafiori.
While it is understood that Saka is fine, there was not an immediate update on the 31-year-old regarding the severity of the injury, meaning he could be a doubt for Sunday.
Potential return date: Sunday February 22, vs Tottenham (A)
Ben White
Ben White suffered a scare late on against Wigan last weekend which caused him to be replaced late on.
He was, however, named on the bench in the draw with Wolves but didn’t get on the pitch with Calafiori selected ahead of him when Trossard needed to come off.
Potential return date: Sunday February 22, vs Tottenham (A)
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Mikel Merino
Mikel Merino is in race to play again this season after undergoing surgery on a foot injury.
Confirming the timeline, Arsenal said in a statement this month that Merino has been ruled out for “an extended period, with the aim of returning to full training before the end of the season”.
An update was provided by Merino’s father Miguel, who told Spanish radio station Cadena Ser: “Despite the problem, he’s accepting the situation.
“There’s uncertainty because the recovery time isn’t well understood as there’s no history of this type of injury.
“It’s a stress fracture. It’s not an injury to the toes, it’s a bit more internal. It’s an injury that isn’t very well documented. There are many doubts regarding his recovery.”
Arteta issued a further update last weekend, before the Brentford draw, when he said: "Doctors were really happy.
“Starting a long process, you're talking about bone healing. You need to be patient and respect the timeframe. We're talking about months - three, four or five we don't know."
Potential return date: June 2026
Max Dowman
Arsenal have been boosted after Arteta confirmed Dowman is closing in on a comeback.
Dowman has been out for two months with an ankle injury but the 16-year-old is on course to return soon.
Issuing a new update on Dowman, Arteta said before the Brentford game: “He's doing really well, about a week away.”
Potential return date: Sunday February 22, vs Tottenham (A)
