Arsenal make a quick return to Premier League action this weekend when they travel to Manchester United for a huge game at the top of the table, following on from Wednesday’s defeat of Aston Villa.
The Gunners have picked up a couple of long-term injuries of late to midfield duo Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny, while Oleksandr Zinchenko once again missed out in midweek, before matters were made worse for Mikel Arteta when two more of his players picked up problems in their last fixture.
Here is all you need to know about the current state of play at the Emirates Stadium and the expected return dates for those on the sidelines.
Martin Odegaard
Norwegian playmaker Martin Odegaard has been in fine form this season with three goals in five appearances for the Gunners, but added to Arteta's injury worries after being forced off the field with less than 10 minutes to play until the final whistle on Wednesday.
Odegaard had picked up an ankle injury after receiving a few kicks from the opposition during that 2-1 victory over the Villains but, although he will face a late fitness test to determine his involvement this weekend, Arteta has confessed that he does not know if his midfielder will be fit enough to feature against United.
Speaking on Friday, Arteta said: "Those two [Ramsdale and Odegaard] are being assessed, we will see more tomorrow. Hopefully they will be able to train with the team."
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Aaron Ramsdale
Arsenal no.1 Aaron Ramsdale was the second player to pick up an injury during Wednesday's 2-1 victory over Aston Villa and could now also be a doubt for Sunday should the severity of the problem be worse than expected.
Ramsdale was unable to keep a clean sheet against Steven Gerrard's side but will now also have to be assessed, alongside Odegaard, ahead of this weekend after picking up a thigh injury during the midweek contest, which comes as great cause for concern for the Gunners should they have to rotate their main man between the sticks.
Speaking on Friday, Arteta said: "Those two [Ramsdale and Odegaard] are being assessed, we will see more tomorrow. Hopefully they will be able to train with the team.
Oleksandr Zinchenko
Summer signing Zinchenko missed a second consecutive game for the Gunners in midweek as he continues to recover from a knee injury which he sustained in the warm-up prior to last weekend's victory over Fulham at the Emirates Stadium.
It was assumed that the Ukrainian was withdrawn from the squad for precautionary measures more than anything, with it later being revealed by the Gunners that he has suffered a 'slight sprain to his left knee’. However, following his absence from the side for the second game running against Aston Villa four days later, he is now expected to miss out once again on Sunday.
Speaking on Friday, Arteta said: "Unfortunately with Alex [Zinchenko] that’s still not the case, he missed two games and has not been able to train with the team yet."
Mohamed Elneny
The Gunners midfielder came in as Partey’s replacement for last weekend’s victory over Fulham, before picking up an injury of his own that ruled him out of Wednesday’s visit of Aston Villa as a result.
Elneny played the full 90 minutes of that 2-1 victory against the Cottagers, but it was revealed afterwards that he had suffered a hamstring strain during the contest in north London, with The Athletic describing it as a ‘significant’ injury. He is now expected to be sidelined for a substantial period of time and will miss Sunday’s trip to Old Trafford.
Speaking on Friday, Arteta said: "With Mo it’s probably a little bit easier and we are talking months."
Thomas Partey
First choice midfielder Partey was ruled out of last weekend’s victory over Fulham after picking up a recurring thigh problem, although it was later revealed that he was only left out for precautionary measures. However, he is also expected to remain out for an extended period of time.
The Ghanaian will continue to be assessed in the meantime, with Arteta stating that his injury is “hopefully not as bad” as his previous one last season, but it is thought that he will continue to miss out for a while in order to prevent any further aggravation.
Speaking on Friday, Arteta said: "With Thomas, hopefully we are talking weeks or even shorter than that I hope. We have tried to manage. A lot has happened since he joined and we are trying to find the best possible way to find the reason why that happens, but unfortunately, the body and mind are two different groups so sometimes to understand that you can’t put your finger on a single thing to try to prevent something happening.
Reiss Nelson
Arsenal winger Reiss Nelson remains sidelined with a thigh injury which he picked up prior to the 4-2 defeat of Leicester City on August 13, and is not expected to return to action until the start of October at the earliest.
On August 12, Arteta confirmed that the 22-year-old had picked up an injury prior to the game, saying: “He felt something in training. We scanned it, and the doctor came with some bad news. It’s a muscular injury, and hopefully, he will be back soon.”
It is assumed that the winger will be out for the next month at least, but Arteta has since said that he does not know the exact time frame. However, a fresh update on his situation can be expected in the coming weeks.
