Arsenal have double injury concerns ahead of their Premier League game against Fulham, with Martin Zvimendi and Ben White absent from Thursday’s training.
Arsenal’s Martin Zvimendi and Ben White have given manager Mikel Arteta another injury headache ahead of the Premier League showdown with Fulham. White was absent from the public training session at London Colney, with Zvimendi also seen watching from the sidelines alongside Gunners sporting director Andrea Berta.
However, there was some good news for Arteta as Piero Hincapie took part in training. The deadline-day signing has only played a few minutes since joining from Bayer Leverkusen, having missed the last five games with a groin injury.
Arsenal have had recurring fitness issues this season, with William Saliba, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard also missing games. Odegaard is currently sidelined with a knee problem and is expected to be out until November.
read more: Seven players confirmed to miss Arsenal game as Fulham star poses fresh injury concern for Marco Silvaread more: Martin Odegaard aims to return from injury for Arsenal in time for three big games
The Gunners captain had already been sidelined in two separate games with shoulder problems before suffering an MCL injury before the October international break.
Noni Maduke and Kai Havertz are also aiming to return next month, with Arteta’s latest update on Havertz suggesting he could be back even sooner.
“Kai and I know we’re going to be together for months. It could be weeks, I don’t know, but you never know… I really miss him,” he confessed in September. “Hopefully he’ll be back, and he’ll be back long-term, so it’s very important to take care of his knee. So far, he’s doing pretty well.”
Both Saka and Saliba have played a number of games for their respective countries over the past two weeks and are close to full fitness and are expected to start against Fulham.
Julian Timber’s outstanding performance at right-back has kept White sidelined, but Zvimendi’s possible absence at Craven Cottage could pose a big problem.
The summer signing came on as a substitute in the win over West Ham United earlier this month, but Odegaard’s injury forced him into the game earlier than expected.
He played 144 minutes for Spain during the domestic break, and Mikel Merino also played in both games, scoring a double and maintaining his scoring streak on the international stage.
If Zvimendi is not fit to play, Christian Norgaard could replace him in the squad, or Arteta could choose to move Rice deeper into the squad and insert Merino into the starting XI.
The pair’s absence may just be a precautionary measure, as Arteta is expected to provide an update in tomorrow’s pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday night’s game against Fulham.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can always check out. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
Sky Sports Premier League and EFL package discounts
£43
£35
sky
Get the deal here
Sky has reduced the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 on their bill and offering more than 1,400 live matches from the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will broadcast at least 215 live Premier League matches next season, with an increase of up to 100 more.
