Arsenal injury update: Latest return dates for Timber, Odegaard, and White.
Mikel Arteta faced another challenge during the Champions League victory over Paris Saint-Germain.
During the match against PSG, Arsenal encountered a new injury issue. The Gunners celebrated a memorable evening at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, marking their home opener in the revamped Champions League with a commanding 2-0 win over the reigning French champions, thanks to first-half goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka.
However, Jurrien Timber had to be substituted at halftime after appearing to sustain an injury, with Jakub Kiwior taking his place.
This was the only concern on an otherwise significant night for Arsenal, who are still managing several injury issues as they prepare to face struggling Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday, just before the second international break of the season.
Here is the latest on Arsenal’s injury situation. Mikel Arteta received a significant boost on Tuesday as new signing Mikel Merino returned from a shoulder injury to make his debut off the bench against PSG. Additionally, Riccardo Calafiori was able to play the full match without any injury concerns.
Jurrien Timber
Timber once again started at left-back in the victory over PSG, showcasing his valuable versatility in the early weeks of the season after also performing well on the right side of defense.
Arteta would be keen to avoid being without the Dutch defender again, who spent most of his first season in English football sidelined due to a serious knee injury.
However, the Arsenal manager seemed to ease concerns regarding Timber in his post-match press conference, stating: “He was exceptional in the first half, but he felt some muscular discomfort and was uncertain. I didn’t want to take any risks.
“He’s been out for a year and has played a lot of minutes, likely more than we would have preferred in recent weeks, so we need to manage his workload.”
It is uncertain whether Timber will be fit to play against Southampton this weekend. Arteta appears inclined to take a cautious approach if there are any concerns regarding his fitness, especially considering the upcoming international break and discussions about potential overexertion.
Potential return date: October 19, vs Bournemouth.
Ben White
Arsenal faced uncertainties regarding both Ben White and Calafiori ahead of the PSG match. While Calafiori participated, White was once again absent after missing training. He also did not feature in the thrilling 4-2 victory over Leicester due to what has been reported as a groin issue. White missed the Carabao Cup match against Bolton and was benched during the game against Manchester City, only to come on for Saka at halftime.
At this point, it is unclear if White will be available for the Southampton match. However, the fact that he was not completely ruled out in the days leading up to the PSG game may indicate a positive sign.
Potential return date: October 5, vs Southampton or October 19, vs Bournemouth.
Martin Odegaard
Arsenal has been without their key captain Martin Odegaard since he sustained ankle ligament damage while on international duty with Norway in the Nations League last month, an injury described as “significant.”
He has missed the last seven matches across all competitions. Arteta mentioned last week that Odegaard’s return is likely a “matter of weeks” away, and he does not anticipate his comeback before the international break.
However, Norway’s coach Stale Solbakken commented on Tuesday that Odegaard is not close to joining the national squad.
He stated, “We will have to see how far he gets during this international break. It is possible that he will come, but it depends a little on his rehabilitation. I have not spoken to him in the past four or five days.”
Potential return date: Mid-to-late October.
Oleksandr Zinchenko
Similar to Odegaard, Ukrainian left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko has not appeared for Arsenal since the 1-1 draw against Brighton on August 31.
The former Manchester City defender is dealing with a calf issue, and Arteta anticipates that he will be out for several weeks.
There have been no recent updates regarding Zinchenko, who is expected to remain unavailable until after the upcoming international break.
Potential return date: Mid-to-late October.
Takehiro Tomiyasu
The injury-prone defender Takehiro Tomiyasu has yet to make an appearance for Arsenal this season due to a knee injury sustained just before their pre-season tour in the USA.
He has been sidelined since then, although Arteta provided an optimistic update on his recovery prior to the victory over Leicester last weekend.
“He participated in partial training today and appeared to be in good form,” Arteta remarked about Tomiyasu.
“He’s making significant progress and is slightly behind Mikel [Merino], but we are uncertain with Tomi as he is someone who pushes himself every day. I believe he is in a good place now.”
Potential return date: October 19, vs Bournemouth.
Kieran Tierney
Tierney was taken off on a stretcher due to a hamstring injury while representing Scotland at Euro 2024 and has not played for Arsenal this season.
This injury may have jeopardized his chances of securing a permanent move away from north London, following a loan spell at Real Sociedad last season.
Upon his return, Tierney may find it challenging to secure regular playing time, as Arteta now has considerable depth in the full-back positions.
Potential return date: Unknown
Tommy Setford
Setford must have been disappointed to miss out on an early debut for Arsenal against Bolton due to injury, especially with first-choice goalkeeper David Raya unavailable and deputy Neto cup-tied, leading to 16-year-old Jack Porter starting instead.
The £1 million summer signing from Ajax was intended to be Arteta’s new No. 3 goalkeeper, following Karl Hein’s loan to Real Valladolid.
Setford was observed at the Emirates alongside fellow injured players Tierney and Tomiyasu, watching the match against PSG. However, there has been limited information regarding the specifics of his injury or an estimated timeline for his return.