Arsenal have not endured too many afternoons like they did at St James’ Park on Saturday. The Gunners were abject in their 1-0 defeat to Newcastle.
There had been some discourse surrounding a supposed ‘injury crisis’ on the red side of north London, but the return of Gabriel to the heart of the defence and Ben White’s presence on the bench dispelled such claims.
The absence of fitness concerns on Tyneside was one of the few positives for Mikel Arteta to take, although there was a brief sequence of Bukayo Saka limping after Lewis Hall trod on his Achilles. The winger finished the contest without much fuss and should’ve recorded another Premier League assist when his whipped delivery found the head of Declan Rice.
With Arsenal’s schedule unrelenting and a trip to San Siro on the horizon, here are the latest Gunners injury updates.
Arteta has leaned on the physicality of his team in the absence of their most proficient artist, leading to some pretty drab performances and unwanted results. Arsenal have doubtlessly missed their captain, who’s been out of action since the September international break with an ankle injury.
However, supporters won’t have to wait much longer until they get to see their Nordic creator working his magic once more.
Arteta confirmed last week that Odegaard had already spent some time on the grass but still had a few boxes to tick before he could make his comeback. Reports suggested there was an outside chance of him being included in Saturday’s matchday squad, with Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Inter the more likely return date for the captain after six weeks out.
Arsenal were always going to take a cautious stance over Calafiori’s knee injury given the player’s history. The Italian defender suffered a devastating knee ligament rupture at 16 which threatened his career.
Calafiori sustained a much less serious MCL injury during the Gunners’ 1-0 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk last month, with Arteta confirming last week that he expects the summer arrival to be out until after the November international break.
It’s been a mightily frustrating start to the 2024/25 season for Tomiyasu, who’s made just a single appearance for the Gunners having suffered another injury setback last month.
The Japanese international is valued by the manager and was an ever-present in the team down the stretch last season, but Calafiori’s arrival and Jurrien Timber’s return to fitness has seen the versatile operator drift down the club’s full-back pecking order.
Tomiyasu has not had the chance to impress his manager this season due to a recurring knee issue that will keep him out of action for a few more weeks yet. We certainly won’t be seeing him before the November break.
Arsenal would’ve explored Kieran Tierney’s permanent sale in the summer had he not suffered a knee injury at Euro 2024 with Scotland.
The dynamic full-back hasn’t played for the Gunners since the 2023 Community Shield, and there’s certainly a chance that he won’t feature for Arteta’s side again.
Tierney remains out of action due to the injury he picked up in the summer, but the boss has suggested the Scot is closing in on a potential comeback. Arteta said last week that Tierney is yet to train, but could do so within the next couple of weeks.
