Current Arsenal injury list

Arsenal injuries overview

• Bukayo Saka (Thigh, injury status unknown)
• Martin Odegaard (Ankle sprain, return date unknown)
• Riccardo Calafiori (Calf/ankle injury, return date unknown)
• Oleksandr Zinchenko (Calf injury, return date unknown)
• Mikel Merino (Fractured shoulder, in recovery, expected return mid-October 2024)
• Takehiro Tomiyasu (Knee injury, in recovery, return date unknown)
• Kieran Tierney (Hamstring injury, in individual training, expected return end of September/early October 2024)

Arsenal injuries more information

Bukayo Saka

• Injury: Thigh
• Status: Unclear
• Out since: Picked up injury during 1-0 win over Tottenham.
• Expected to return: Unclear

Bukayo Saka was replaced after 86 minutes in the game against Tottenham after going down with what appeared to be a thigh injury. After the game, Mikel Arteta was asked about the winger and what the problem was. “I don’t know,” Arteta said. “I made two changes with the front players and suddenly he’s down. I don’t know exactly what it is but he could not continue.”

Oleksandr Zinchenko

• Injury: Calf
• Status: unclear
• Out since: Picked up injury during international break
• Expected to return: Unclear

Oleksandr Zinchenko was not included in Arsenal’s squad to face Tottenham with his calf causing him a problem. That is all the information available at present.

Martin Odegaard

• Injury: Ankle sprain
• Status: Doubt
• Out since: Picked up injury playing for Norway v Austria 9 September 2024
• Expected to return: Unclear

Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard is expected to miss at least three weeks after sustaining an ankle injury during Norway’s Nations League match against Austria. Norway’s national team doctor, Ola Sand, confirmed that Ødegaard will miss several key Arsenal fixtures, including the north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur and their Champions League opener. His availability for Arsenal’s match against Manchester City on 22 September is also in doubt.

Ahead of the NLD, however, Mikel Arteta was coy.

“We need some more tests so let’s see what happens in the next day or so,” he said. “Let’s see what happens, what the extent of the injury is and how quickly we can get him back. He’s super positive about everything. We know Martin – he wants to be there every single day but we have to wait and see.

“He’s willing, there’s no question about that. He wants to be present every game and obviously in a big game like this one, but we need to make sure that we know first of all how good he can be or not.

“Players with 48 hours to go are always available, but let’s see what happens.”

Odegaard was not included in the squad for the game against Tottenham.

Riccardo Calafiori

• Injury: Calf/ankle
• Status: Doubt
• Out since: Picked up injury playing for Italy v France 6 September 2024
• Expected to return: Unclear

Arsenal’s new signing, Riccardo Calafiori, was sent back to London after initially being deemed fit to continue with Italy’s squad for their UEFA Nations League fixtures. The 22-year-old defender suffered a calf injury following a collision with French winger Ousmane Dembele during Italy’s 3-1 win over France. Although early reports suggested the injury was minor, with Italy manager Luciano Spalletti expressing optimism, further assessments revealed the injury is worse than initially feared.

Ahead of the game against Tottenham, Mikel Arteta said, “It’s another one that we have to wait another day or so.”

He did not make the squad for the Tottenham game.

Mikel Merino

• Injury: Fractured shoulder
• Status: In recovery
• Out since: 30 August 2024
• Expected to return: 11 October 2024 (six weeks minimum)

Mikel Merino, may be sidelined for at least six weeks due to a shoulder fracture. Merino, who joined from Real Sociedad, sustained the injury in training before making his debut. Mikel Arteta initially confirmed the midfielder’s absence for “a few weeks,” but the injury could be more severe, with The Athletic reporting it could extend to six weeks. This would see Merino miss key matches against Brighton, Spurs, Manchester City, and others, along with Champions League and League Cup fixtures.

Ahead of Arsenal’s game against Tottenham, Arteta said, “It’s better, it’s a slow process because it’s a bone and it takes a while to heal. He is progressing well and is already doing some stuff. He is working extremely hard and we’re using this time to make sure that he understands a lot of things that he has a lot of questions about, and when he’s back he’s ready to go and impact the team.”

Asked if the midfielder would be back after teh next international break, Arteta said, “We don’t know honestly. It’s very difficult to understand the healing of the bone. I think at the moment he doesn’t have a lot of symptoms so you can speed it up very quickly because he hasn’t lost anything else but we have to wait and see.”

Takehiro Tomiysau

• Injury: Knee
• Status: In recovery
• Out since: Pre-season 24/25
• Expected to return: Unknown

“Yeah, I think it will take weeks on that one unfortunately,” Arteta admitted almost a month ago. “He’s going to have to be patient and work through it because I think it’s going to take a few weeks.”

Kieran Tierney

• Injury: Hamstring
• Status: In individual training
• Out since: June 19 2024
• Expected to return: End of September/early October 2024

Kieran Tierney has resumed individual training following a hamstring injury sustained during Euro 2024. Tierney shared images on Instagram confirming his progress, as he runs on the pitch at London Colney. Though not yet involved in full team sessions, the Scotland international is edging closer to a return. Mikel Arteta previously stated Tierney would be out for “a few weeks,” and his comeback may coincide with Arsenal’s League Cup match against Bolton on September 25th.

Current Arsenal injury list

Arsenal injuries overview

• Martin Odegaard (Ankle sprain, return date unknown)
• Riccardo Calafiori (Calf/ankle injury, return date unknown)
• Mikel Merino (Fractured shoulder, in recovery, expected return mid-October 2024)
• Takehiro Tomiyasu (Knee injury, in recovery, return date unknown)
• Kieran Tierney (Hamstring injury, in individual training, expected return end of September/early October 2024)

Arsenal injuries more information

Martin Odegaard

• Injury: Ankle sprain
• Status: Doubt
• Out since: Picked up injury playing for Norway v Austria 9 September 2024
• Expected to return: Unclear

Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard is expected to miss at least three weeks after sustaining an ankle injury during Norway’s Nations League match against Austria. Norway’s national team doctor, Ola Sand, confirmed that Ødegaard will miss several key Arsenal fixtures, including the north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur and their Champions League opener. His availability for Arsenal’s match against Manchester City on 22 September is also in doubt.

Ahead of the NLD, however, Mikel Arteta was coy.

“We need some more tests so let’s see what happens in the next day or so,” he said. “Let’s see what happens, what the extent of the injury is and how quickly we can get him back. He’s super positive about everything. We know Martin – he wants to be there every single day but we have to wait and see.

“He’s willing, there’s no question about that. He wants to be present every game and obviously in a big game like this one, but we need to make sure that we know first of all how good he can be or not.

“Players with 48 hours to go are always available, but let’s see what happens.”

Odegaard was not included in the squad for the game against Tottenham.

Riccardo Calafiori

• Injury: Calf/ankle
• Status: Doubt
• Out since: Picked up injury playing for Italy v France 6 September 2024
• Expected to return: Unclear

Arsenal’s new signing, Riccardo Calafiori, was sent back to London after initially being deemed fit to continue with Italy’s squad for their UEFA Nations League fixtures. The 22-year-old defender suffered a calf injury following a collision with French winger Ousmane Dembele during Italy’s 3-1 win over France. Although early reports suggested the injury was minor, with Italy manager Luciano Spalletti expressing optimism, further assessments revealed the injury is worse than initially feared.

Ahead of the game against Tottenham, Mikel Arteta said, “It’s another one that we have to wait another day or so.”

He did not make the squad for the Tottenham game.

Mikel Merino

• Injury: Fractured shoulder
• Status: In recovery
• Out since: 30 August 2024
• Expected to return: 11 October 2024 (six weeks minimum)

Mikel Merino, may be sidelined for at least six weeks due to a shoulder fracture. Merino, who joined from Real Sociedad, sustained the injury in training before making his debut. Mikel Arteta initially confirmed the midfielder’s absence for “a few weeks,” but the injury could be more severe, with The Athletic reporting it could extend to six weeks. This would see Merino miss key matches against Brighton, Spurs, Manchester City, and others, along with Champions League and League Cup fixtures.

Ahead of Arsenal’s game against Tottenham, Arteta said, “It’s better, it’s a slow process because it’s a bone and it takes a while to heal. He is progressing well and is already doing some stuff. He is working extremely hard and we’re using this time to make sure that he understands a lot of things that he has a lot of questions about, and when he’s back he’s ready to go and impact the team.”

Asked if the midfielder would be back after teh next international break, Arteta said, “We don’t know honestly. It’s very difficult to understand the healing of the bone. I think at the moment he doesn’t have a lot of symptoms so you can speed it up very quickly because he hasn’t lost anything else but we have to wait and see.”

Takehiro Tomiysau

• Injury: Knee
• Status: In recovery
• Out since: Pre-season 24/25
• Expected to return: Unknown

“Yeah, I think it will take weeks on that one unfortunately,” Arteta admitted almost a month ago. “He’s going to have to be patient and work through it because I think it’s going to take a few weeks.”

Kieran Tierney

• Injury: Hamstring
• Status: In individual training
• Out since: June 19 2024
• Expected to return: End of September/early October 2024

Kieran Tierney has resumed individual training following a hamstring injury sustained during Euro 2024. Tierney shared images on Instagram confirming his progress, as he runs on the pitch at London Colney. Though not yet involved in full team sessions, the Scotland international is edging closer to a return. Mikel Arteta previously stated Tierney would be out for “a few weeks,” and his comeback may coincide with Arsenal’s League Cup match against Bolton on September 25th.

Norway doctor says Ødegaard injury will sideline him for 3+ weeks

Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard is set to miss at least three weeks of action after sustaining an ankle injury during Norway’s Nations League match against Austria, a development confirmed by Norway’s national team doctor, Ola Sand. While initial scans suggest there is no fracture, the injury threatens to sideline the midfielder for several crucial Arsenal fixtures, including the north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur and their Champions League opener next week.

Ødegaard, who was injured an hour into Norway’s 2-1 victory over Austria on Monday, attempted to continue but was eventually forced off. Following his return to London for further assessments, Dr Sand provided an update: “Such ankle injuries often take at least three weeks. Anything other than that is just a bonus. And then it can take longer,” he told VG.

This diagnosis means that Ødegaard will certainly miss Sunday’s derby against Tottenham and next week’s Champions League clash. Furthermore, his availability for Arsenal’s match against Manchester City on 22 September remains in doubt. The national team doctor did not rule out a more extended recovery period, adding that if there had been a fracture, Ødegaard would have faced at least six weeks out.

Dr Sand emphasised that the extent of Ødegaard’s recovery will depend on how quickly he responds to rehabilitation in the coming weeks. “Regardless of the MRI images, his response to the rehabilitation in the next few weeks is the most important. It will start carefully on the bike, carefully in relation to what he can tolerate from pain. Then you take it gradually,” Sand explained.

While the initial MRI scans were reassuring, past ankle issues complicate the situation. Ødegaard has dealt with similar injuries before, and his recovery time could be influenced by this previous history. Sand recalled a 2021 incident where Ødegaard injured his ankle playing for Norway against Gibraltar and returned to action after 17 days.

Despite the grim outlook, Sand noted that Ødegaard remains hopeful of a swift recovery. However, both the player and the club will need to be cautious, ensuring he does not rush back and risk further aggravation.

Common injuries and recovery times

	Injury	Minor	Moderate	Severe
Ankle & Foot injuries	Achilles tendonitis	6 weeks	3 months	6 months +
	Ankle sprain	2-3 weeks	4-6 weeks	6-8 weeks
	Calf muscle strain	1-2 weeks	3-4 weeks	6-8 weeks
	Fracture dislocation of ankle joint			6 months +
	Os Trigonum Syndrome (floating bone in back of ankle)		3-4 weeks	6-8 weeks
	Plantar fascitis	2-3 weeks	4-6 weeks	2 months +
Knee & Leg injuries	Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL)			4-6 months
	Calf muscle strain	1-2 weeks	3-4 weeks	6-8 weeks
	Cartilage Tear (meniscal tear)	2-4 weeks	4-6 weeks	2 months +
	Hamstring strain	1-2 weeks	3-4 weeks	6-8 weeks
	Lateral Collateral Ligament Sprain	2-3 weeks	4-6 weeks	3 months
	Medial Collateral Ligament Sprain	2-4 weeks	4-8 weeks	3 months
	Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD)			3-5 months
	Patella tendonitis	6 weeks	3 months	6 months +
	Posterior Cruciate Ligament	4-6 weeks	6-8 weeks	3-4 months
	Thigh strain (Quadriceps strain)	1-2 weeks	3-4 weeks	6-8 weeks
	Tibia & Fibula Fractures			4-6 months +
Hip & Groin injuries	Abdominal strain (stomach muscle strain)	1-2 weeks	3-4 weeks	6-8 weeks
	Avulsion fracture pelvis			8 weeks
	Groin strain (Adductor strain)	1-2 weeks	3-4 weeks	6-8 weeks
	Hip flexor strain	1-2 weeks	3-4 weeks	6-8 weeks
	Hernia			8 weeks post-op
	Iliopsoas Syndrome	1-2 weeks	3-4 weeks	6-8 weeks
Lower Back injuries	Facet syndrome	2-3 weeks	3-4 weeks	4 weeks +
	Sciatica	3-4 weeks	4-6 weeks	2 months
	Spondylolysis (stress fracture)			2-3 months
	Slipped disc	3-4 weeks	4-6 weeks	2 months
Elbow, wrist & hand injuries	Dislocated finger (Mallet finger)		2-3 weeks	*GK 8-10 weeks
	Elbow fracture			10-12 weeks
	Golfer’s elbow	1 week	3 weeks	6 weeks +
	Tennis elbow	1 week	3 weeks	6 weeks +
	Metacarpal fractures (hand fractures)		2-3 weeks	*GK 8-10 weeks
	Wrist fractures (Colles and Scaphoid)			6-8 weeks
Shoulder injuries	Acromio Clavicular (AC) joint sprain	1 week	4 weeks	6-8 weeks
	Dislocated shoulder			6-8 weeks
	Fractured collar bone			6-8 weeks
	Fractured humerus			6-8 weeks
	Rotator cuff (muscle problems)	2 weeks	4-6 weeks	8-12 weeks
	Ruptured biceps tendon			12 weeks
	Subacromial bursitis	1 week	2-3 weeks	6 weeks
Neck injuries	Cervical disc prolapse (Slipped disc)			6 weeks +
	Whiplash	1-2 days	5-7 days	2 weeks
Data source

Hamstring injuries

Hamstring injuries are classified into three grades based on their severity. These grades help medical professionals determine the extent of the injury and guide appropriate treatment and rehabilitation plans.

Grade 1 (Mild): A Grade 1 hamstring injury is a minor strain or pull, with only a few muscle fibres affected. There is usually mild pain and discomfort but no significant loss of strength or function. Recovery time for a Grade 1 injury is typically between 1 to 3 weeks, depending on the individual and the specific injury.

• Grade 2 (Moderate): A Grade 2 hamstring injury involves a partial tear of the muscle fibres. This results in more pain, swelling, and possible bruising. The individual might experience difficulty walking or have a limited range of motion. Recovery time for a Grade 2 injury is usually between 4 to 8 weeks.
• Grade 3 (Severe): A Grade 3 hamstring injury is a complete tear or rupture of the muscle, which can cause severe pain, swelling, and significant loss of function. This type of injury may require surgical intervention, depending on the location and extent of the tear. Recovery time for a Grade 3 injury can range from 3 to 6 months, or even longer, depending on the severity and the individual’s healing process.
• It’s important to note that recovery times can vary depending on the individual, the quality of the rehabilitation program, and other factors. It’s crucial to follow the advice of medical professionals and adhere to a proper rehabilitation plan to minimise the risk of re-injury and ensure a full recovery.

22/23 Season

Arsenal Players Seek Private Physiotherapy Amid Title Run-In

Discover why Arsenal players are seeking private physiotherapy sessions outside the club to stay in peak physical condition during their title run-in.

As Arsenal face a crucial stage in their Premier League title race, several first-team players have reportedly opted for private physiotherapy sessions beyond the club’s medical staff.

According to MailOnline, the players understand that even minor injuries or discomfort could hinder their chances of success. As a result, they are taking additional precautions to maintain their top physical condition for the upcoming decisive matches.

The report states, “Sportsmail has learned that a number of the Gunners’ first-team squad have sought private physio sessions away from the club’s medical umbrella to ensure their bodies are primed for the title run-in.”

In their recent victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage, Arsenal welcomed back key players, including Martin Odegaard, Kieran Tierney, Leandro Trossard, and Gabriel Jesus, who all recovered from various injuries and illnesses.

Compared to Arsene Wenger’s tenure, when lengthy absences due to injury were common, Arsenal’s current management of player injuries has significantly improved. The fact that players are proactively seeking additional support outside the club’s medical staff showcases the determination and commitment fostered under Mikel Arteta’s leadership.

Stay updated on Arsenal’s title run-in and their players’ efforts to maintain peak physical condition by following our regular coverage and expert analysis.