Arsenal’s chances of welcoming any injured players back against Atletico Madrid have taken a hit, with none of the four involved in training on Monday.
If Arsenal fans were hoping for some good news on the injury front from Monday’s open training session in front of the media, they would have been left disappointed by the list of players involved.
Mikel Merino, Jurrien Timber, Kai Havertz, and Martin Odegaard were all absent from the session, hinting that they may all be set to miss Tuesday’s game.
That’s certainly not confirmed, as sometimes an injured player will be held back from training to give them as much time as possible to rest ahead of a game. But it would have been a much better sign if any of them had been spotted in training on Monday.
The only good news from the session is that Bukayo Saka was involved, confirming that there’s no injury setback following his half-time substitution against Fulham.
Joining the first-team players were Marli Salmon and Josh Ogunnaike, providing some backup defensive options from the academy.
Arsenal likely won’t have too many spare spots in the squad, but the increased size of the Champions League benches might make call-ups possible for the youth duo.
Salmon and third-choice goalkeeper Tommy Setford both made the bench in Madrid, and that was before Odegaard’s injury.
Arsenal should at least be able to name a similar team to the one they started in Madrid, or against Fulham at the weekend, with Odegaard the only current injury doubt to start either of those games.
Mikel Arteta didn’t have Havertz, Timber, or Merino for the last week of football, so it’s nothing new if they miss out again on Tuesday.
- Arsenal academy chief identifies key to long-term plansPascal De Maesschalck has explained why recruitment sits at the heart of Arsenal’s academy plans and how Mikel Arteta is shaping the next stage.
- Arsenal identify 2 forwards for January windowArsenal are reportedly prioritising a versatile forward for January, with two attackers under consideration as Mikel Arteta weighs his options.
- “Never seen anything like that” New Arsenal Academy boss blown away by Mikel Arteta training sessionsPascal De Maesschalck has revealed what surprised him most about Mikel Arteta’s coaching after joining Arsenal as academy director this summer.
- 4 Arsenal players shortlisted for FIFPRO Women’s World 11Four Arsenal players have been shortlisted for the 2026 FIFPRO Women’s World 11, with the final team to be decided by votes from fellow professionals.
- Why Merino believes Arsenal can benefit from his international successMikel Merino has explained how his success with Spain could help Arsenal develop the confidence and experience needed to win more major honours.