Arsenal injury news as Mikel Arteta welcomes back Declan Rice into the Premier League but still has fitness problems setting him back

Mikel Arteta has prepared his Arsenal side for the trip to Manchester City with excellent defensive performances in their last two matches. Heading into the first meeting with Pep Guardiola's in-form champions, it has been back-to-back clean sheets for the Gunners.

The turn to a rock-solid foundation to build from was arguably forced on Arteta and Arsenal during the 4-1 defeat away to City at the end of the 2022/23 season. Now, with the tools to not only pounce on any mistakes from their opponents but also shut out some of the most dangerous players around, Arsenal head to Manchester in search of a first win at the Etihad Stadium since 2015.

Unsurprisingly it won't come easily though. Arsenal will be without a key group of players for the trip which not only impacts the starting XI but also the depth available.

The good news for Arteta is that having served his one-match suspension, Declan Rice is eligible once more. He returned to the team for the Champions League clash against Atalanta on Thursday.

Here, football.london has the latest from the Arsenal treatment room with all the injury updates.

Martin Ødegaard

Injury: Ankle.

The Arsenal captain missed the North London derby win after suffering an ankle injury during the international break. He is set to be out for a while, although just how long is yet to be specified.

He unsurprisingly did not play any part in training before Atalanta and didn't feature in the game.

What Mikel Arteta said: "After recent scans the scans showed that he’s got some damage especially on one of the ligaments in the ankle. We’re gonna miss him."

[Possible timeline?] "I don’t want to do that because I’m not a doctor. But it’s something quite significant so we’re going to lose him for a while."

[Weeks or months?] "Hopefully not months but let’s see."

Possible return date: Unknown.

Mikel Merino

Injury: Shoulder.

Merino has not yet played for Arsenal after suffering a shoulder fracture in his first training session with the club before the international break. He initially wore a sling when seen at the Emirates Stadium and Sobha Realty Training Complex, but did not have the aid on during the team photo.

What Mikel Arteta has said: “Very unfortunate. Yesterday, he had a collision, and he has a shoulder injury. It looks like he's going to be out for a few weeks. He was really excited, and everything was looking really good. He landed on the floor, and Gabi landed on top of him, and it looks like he has a small fracture, probably.”

Possible return date: Bournemouth (A) - October 19.

Oleksandr Zinchenko

Injury: Calf.

Zinchenko has been out since the international break after picking up a knock in the buildup to the North London Derby. He did not feature against Atalanta and hasn't been seen training ahead of the trip to City either.

Possible return date: Unknown.

Takehiro Tomiyasu

Injury: Knee.

The Japanese full-back has once more suffered another injury setback having missed large parts of last season. He is yet to feature this campaign.

What Arteta has said: “At the moment, it is difficult to say [when he will return]. It's a bit slow the process of the first phase of that injury. It's probably for the medical team to say more than that. He's not done any training yet.”

Possible return date : Leicester City (H) - September 28.

Kieran Tierney

Injury: Hamstring.

Tierney was expected to leave Arsenal in the summer but picked up a damaging hamstring injury at the Euros with Scotland. He was included in the 25-man Premier League squad earlier this month. He is yet to return to training.

What Arteta has said: ““He needs to focus now on recovering in the best possible way. It’s been a tough time for him, with the last injury. We have to try to support him and make sure he comes back fit.”

Possible return date: Unknown.

Odegaard's Absence: A Huge Blow for Arsenal

Martin Odegaard has been notable in his absence for Arsenal. Indeed, the Gunners have accumulated an Expected Goals (xG) of just 1.52 over their last two games with the Norwegian out of the team through injury. Odegaard was Arsenal’s creator-in-chief and without them Mikel Arteta doesn’t have much creativity to call on.

This is a major worry at this fragile point of the season. Manchester City has a 100% record at the top of the Premier League table with Erling Haaland firing on all cylinders for the defending champions. Arsenal, meanwhile, dropped points in a match at home to Brighton and is already chasing City ahead of Sunday’s meeting between the two rivals.

Arsenal has built out its squad depth over the past two seasons, but Arteta doesn’t have another player like Odegaard. Declan Rice is capable of playing in a more advanced role, but he doesn’t have the creative eye of Odegaard. The same could be said of Mikel Merino who still hasn’t played for Arsenal since joining from Real Sociedad last month.

Odegaard’s badly timed injury now gives Emile Smith Rowe’s summer departure to Fulham a different complexion. While it’s true the 24-year-old needed to leave the Emirates Stadium to further his own individual career, Arsenal could have used him as an option right now. Should the Gunners have kept Smith Rowe around?

Fabio Vieira is another player who might have eased Arsenal’s current woes, but the 24-year-old was loaned to Porto for the 2024/25 season. Vieira only started two games in the Premier League last season and was very much a peripheral figure in Arteta’s squad. Nonetheless, this is a scenario he could have helped tackle.

It’s not yet known how long Odegaard’s ankle injury, sustained on international duty with Norway, will keep him sidelined for, but Arsenal needs a plan to handle his absence. Arteta set up his team to be difficult to beat against Tottenham Hotspur and Atalanta, but the Gunners need more than this in an attacking sense.

Many believed Arsenal was in a position to finally win the Premier League title this season, but Arteta is now facing one of his biggest challenges as manager of the North London club. The Gunners might not have anticipated Odegaard picking up an injury, but they now need to find a way to get by until his return in a few months’ time. Arsenal’s season is already on the line.

What Does This Mean For Arsenal?

The absence of Odegaard is a significant blow for Arsenal. He has been a key player for the team in recent years and his leadership and creativity will be missed. Arteta will need to find a way to replace Odegaard's influence in the team, and it will be interesting to see how he does so.

One option is to move Declan Rice into a more attacking role. Rice is a versatile player and has shown that he can play in a more advanced position. However, he is not a natural creator and it remains to be seen whether he can fill the void left by Odegaard.

Another option is to give more playing time to Fabio Vieira, who is currently on loan at Porto. Vieira is a talented attacking midfielder, but he has struggled to break into the Arsenal team in the past. It is possible that he could be given a chance to prove himself in Odegaard's absence.

Ultimately, Arsenal will need to find a way to cope without Odegaard for the next few months. This will be a difficult task, but it is one that Arteta and his team will need to overcome if they want to challenge for the Premier League title this season.

It is a crucial period for Arsenal. The Gunners are in a good position in the Premier League, but they will need to overcome the challenges ahead of them in order to maintain their momentum. The absence of Odegaard is a setback, but it is not a fatal one. Arteta and his team have the quality to overcome this challenge and continue their pursuit of the Premier League title.