Saka, Timber, Odegaard – Arsenal Injury News and Return Dates for Champions League Clash with Shakhtar Donetsk
Mikel Arteta will be hoping that both Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber can return from injury over the coming days.
Ben White, Thomas Partey, and Kai Havertz were among the fitness doubts that started the Premier League clash against Bournemouth, but even they could not prevent defeat on the south coast.
A 30th-minute red card for William Saliba turned the game on its head, and with the Gunners unable to recover, goals from Ryan Christie and Justin Kluivert condemned Arteta’s side to their first defeat of the season. With the coming weeks full of major tests for Arsenal, it will be important to bounce back immediately.
Arsenal can do exactly that on Tuesday evening as they welcome Shakhtar Donetsk to Emirates Stadium for a Champions League clash. At least one injury return could arrive in that fixture, with Arteta hopeful he will soon have Timber and Saka free from injury.
In light of this, AFCN has reviewed the latest Arsenal injury news and the potential return dates for some of their key players ahead of four games in the next 11 days.
Bukayo Saka
Injury: Hamstring.
Bukayo Saka sustained a hamstring injury during England’s Nations League loss to Greece last Thursday. Although there was optimism he might play against Bournemouth a week later, Mikel Arteta ultimately chose to omit him from the squad.
What Arteta has said: “We tried the last few days. We tried yesterday and he didn’t have the right feeling. If he feels like that then there’s no point pushing him.”
Return date: Liverpool (H) – Premier League – October 26.
Jurrien Timber
Injury: Unknown.
Timber was replaced at halftime during Arsenal’s Champions League victory over Paris Saint-Germain and did not feature in the squad for the match against Southampton. The defender was also left out of the Netherlands squad for their Nations League games against Hungary and Germany.
Similar to Saka, he was not included in the matchday squad to face Bournemouth, raising further uncertainty about his future availability.
What Arteta has said: “They are quite close the three of them [White, Timber and Zinchenko]. Today we’ll have to push. We are struggling a bit with the numbers, especially in our right side.”
Return date: Unknown.
Martin Odegaard
Injury: Ankle.
Odegaard sustained an ankle injury during the Nations League match against Austria in September. He has been sidelined for the past five weeks and was unavailable for the Bournemouth game. Arteta mentioned that the upcoming days will be critical for his recovery.
What Arteta has said: “He’s not going to be fit for this game [with Bournemouth]. Next week will be a different story. In that later stage of his rehab, where he is at the moment because he’s already doing a lot of stuff already, he needs to clear some markers.
“There are certain things he needs to be comfortable with doing, especially with the ball. Next week will be crucial to understanding how close he is.”
Possible return date: Chelsea (A) – Premier League – November 10.
Kai Havertz
Injury: Knee.
Although Havertz played the full 90 minutes against Southampton before the international break, he withdrew from the Germany squad due to a knee issue. Nevertheless, he started the match at Vitality Stadium and completed the entire game.
What Arteta has said: “He had a few issues but we’ve been dealing with that. We’ve great communication with Germany. If he trains well today he has a good chance to be fit and available.”
Return date: Returned.
Ben White
Injury: Groin.
White entered as a half-time substitute in last month’s 2-2 draw with Manchester City, during which it was revealed he had been struggling with several persistent muscular issues. His groin was the most recent problem, but he has since recovered and made his first appearance in almost four weeks.
What Arteta has said: “They are quite close the three of them [White, Timber and Zinchenko]. Today we’ll have to push. We are struggling a bit with the numbers, especially in our right side.”
Return date: Returned.
Gabriel Martinelli
Injury: Calf.
Martinelli came off the bench for the final 26 minutes against Bournemouth despite it being revealed he was dealing with a calf injury while on Brazil duty.
What Arteta has said: “Gabi landed yesterday [Thursday] afternoon. Yesterday, he went outside for a bit, to see how he’s feeling. We have to decide if we want to take a risk because I know he’ll say he is.”
Return date: Returned
Thomas Partey
Injury: Unknown.
The midfielder was pulled from international duty before heading away with the Ghana squad.
A statement read: “Thomas Partey is unable to join the Black Stars due to medical issues he’s currently experiencing, and his club has scheduled him for further tests in the coming days.” Despite that, Partey started the clash against Bournemouth and played the full 90 minutes.
What Arteta said: “He’s fit [to face Bournemouth].”
Return date: Returned.
Oleksandr Zinchenko
Injury: Calf.
Zinchenko has not played for Arsenal since August, missing the last four Premier League matches due to a calf injury. Unsurprisingly, he was not called up by Ukraine for their two Nations League matches during the break. The versatile defender was on the bench against Bournemouth but remained an unused substitute, although he is expected to play on Tuesday.
What Arteta has said: “They are quite close the three of them [White, Timber and Zinchenko]. Today we’ll have to push. We are struggling a bit with the numbers, especially in our right side.”
Return date: Shakhtar Donetsk (H) – Champions League – October 22.
Kieran Tierney
Injury: Hamstring.
Tierney remains out of action after suffering a horrible hamstring injury while playing for Scotland at Euro 2024. He is yet to return to training having been expected to leave the club over the summer.
What Arteta has said: “He needs to focus on recovering in the best possible way as it’s been a tough time for him again with the last injury. We have to try to support him and make sure he gets back fit.”
Return date: Unknown.
In other news, William Saliba’s Suspension Could Push Mikel Arteta to Revisit Costly Arsenal Defensive Strategy Against Liverpool
