Arsenal signed off for November with back-to-back thumping away wins, but before have come at a price.
Scoring five in Lisbon to beat Sporting was followed by another five-goal haul at West Ham.
However, in addition to Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu injuries, Mikel Merino and Thomas Partey had to sit out the trip across London after picking up injuries.
Then, during the game, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel and Riccardo Calafiori were all forced off. Captain Martin Odegaard also came off.
Here’s all the latest on Arsenal injuries…
Bukayo Saka
Saka produced a stunning performance against West Ham with two assists before scoring from the penalty spot, but raised concerns after limping off 16 minutes from time.
The forward appeared to come off worse after being hurt during a collision with Emerson following a shot, and requiredd treatment.
However, in a rare case of Mikel Arteta providing instant clarity, the Arsenal manager confirmed after the game that Saka is "fine".
Potential return date: Potential return date: Manchester United (h) on Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Gabriel
The defender was a doubt heading into the win at West Ham, but managed to start the game, open the scoring and then win a penalty in an action-packed first half.
However, he was withdrawn at half-time and replaced by Jakub Kiwior. Speaking after the game, Mikel Arteta suggested it was a precaution given the strong half-time lead.
“It was related to the previous injury he had in Lisbon [against Sporting],” Arteta told reporters.
“He did great to be a part of that. With that result and the state he is feeling, we decided to take him off.”
Potential return date: Manchester United (h) on Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Riccardo Calafiori
There is more concern over Riccardo Calafiori, though, how was forced off before the hour mark at London Stadium and replaced by Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Mikel Arteta confirmed after the game that the substitition was forced - and not for tactical reasons - with the player needing to have his workload managed.
Arteta said: "He’s been dealing with little niggles in the last few weeks, obviously, he’s had a very serious knee injury and he’s doing really well.
“But, we have to manage his minutes. Today we have to do the same.”
Potential return date: Manchester United (h) on Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Thomas Partey
Arsenal were dealt with a double midfielder injury blow ahead of the win at West Ham, starting with Thomas Partey.
The midfielder has been one of the Gunners' standout players this season, and produced one of his best performances of the campaign in the 5-1 win at Sporting Lisbon in midweek.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Mikel Arteta hinted at a few injury concerns. He said: "A few weren’t able to train yesterday but hopefully today so we have to wait and see."
A club statement before kick-off against West Ham read "Mikel Merino (knee issue) and Thomas Partey (muscle issue) both miss out on tonight’s fixture."
Potential return date: Unknown
Mikel Merino
Mikel Merino was the second midfielder sidelined between the wins over Sporting and West Ham.
Merino came on for Partey in Lisbon, and played a part in Arsenal's fifth goal, but had to sit out the win in east London.
As with Partey, the extent of the injury remains unknown. Mikel Arteta added after the game on Merino and the Ghana international: "The game came too early and they couldn’t be part of the squad.
He added: "We had to make changes and everybody comes in, we lost big players again yesterday, nobody is really affected."
Potential return date: Unknown
Ben White
The defender went under the knife last month to solve a knee problem, and Mikel Arteta recently confirmed the procedure was a success but will sideline White for months.
“Still early days,” he said in late November. “The surgery went really well, there is no reaction after that.
“He is improving day by day but it is a process for the first four to six weeks, where we have to be really cautious and don’t put any stress on that knee.
“Then we will see how quickly he can recover and how it reacts after that.”
Potential return date: Early 2025
Takehiro Tomiyasu
The defender missed the first couple of months of the season with a knee injury suffered over the summer, and then made a brief return off the bench against Southampton in early October only to suffer another setback that has kept him sidelined ever since.
There is still no timeline for the Japan defender’s potential return, with Arteta revealing before the win over Forest that he was now set for a change of scenery in a bid to try and aid his recovery.
“Tomiyasu is going to be out for a bit,” Arteta said. “He’s going to be away now for a few weeks for him to continue with his training and to change his environment a little bit because it’s been really tough for him as you can imagine.
“He’s one of the guys where the only thing he wants to do is to work 24 hours to get better and he feels terrible when he’s not fit, so it’s a real shame. We’re going to give him the best opportunity to try and unlock something to help him to have him back as quickly as possible, but I think we need to be patient.”
Potential return date: Early 2025
