Arsenal might be without up to eight key players for their upcoming North London derby against Tottenham, with Mikel Arteta facing a potential injury crisis.
Several players have picked up new injuries during the international break, adding to the Gunners’ mounting concerns.
The latest setback involves captain Martin Odegaard, who suffered a sprained ankle while playing for Norway against Austria.
The playmaker is expected to miss the crucial derby on September 15.
In addition, Declan Rice will also be unavailable, not due to injury, but because of a suspension following his controversial second yellow card during Arsenal’s 1-1 draw against Brighton.
Odegaard and Rice will be significant losses for Arsenal’s midfield as they aim to maintain their title push.
They may be joined on the sidelines by new signing Riccardo Calafiori, who sustained an unusual injury during Italy’s Nations League win over France.
Calafiori collided with Ousmane Dembélé, who fell on him awkwardly, forcing the Italian off the pitch.
Defender Jurrien Timber is another doubt after he suffered an issue in the same match against Brighton, although Arteta has downplayed the severity of the problem, referring to it as “just cramping.”
Gabriel Jesus has also been battling a groin injury, keeping him out of action since Arsenal’s opening day 2-0 win over Wolves, and remains a doubt for the Spurs clash.
Additionally, Arsenal’s new £31m signing, Mikel Merino, has been ruled out after injuring his shoulder in his first training session following his transfer from Real Sociedad.
The injury could sideline him for several months, further deepening Arteta’s injury woes.
Two other players are confirmed to be unavailable.
Takehiro Tomiyasu, who has been dealing with a persistent knee injury since the summer, and Kieran Tierney, who is not currently in Arteta’s plans.
Arsenal started the season strongly with wins over Wolves and Aston Villa but were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw against Brighton, a match where they were reduced to 10 men following Rice’s red card for an incident involving Joel Veltman.
After facing Spurs, Arsenal will face a tough schedule with a Champions League trip to Atalanta, followed by a clash with title rivals Manchester City on September 22.
Despite the injury concerns, Arsenal remain confident of securing a positive result against Spurs, especially given the vulnerabilities displayed by Ange Postecoglou’s side.
Spurs have drawn 1-1 with Leicester and lost 2-1 to Newcastle in their first three games, despite dominating both matches.
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