Arsenal’s next five games as Mikel Arteta faces injury crisis after England star’s absence

The international break has not been a good time for Arsenal, with Noni Madueke suffering an injury and several players withdrawing from the national team due to fitness concerns.

Arsenal supporters are worried about the fitness of their key players after a worrying first week of the international break. The Gunners are at a crucial stage of the season with Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League games on the horizon, but the new injury suspicions come at a bad time.

The most obvious concern concerns Noni Madueke, who was forced off after limping off in England’s draw with Uruguay on Friday night. He was then seen wearing a protective knee brace and manager Thomas Tuchel gave a gloomy update after the match.

“Of course I’m worried,” the England manager said. “I’m very sad and upset, but I hope it’s not a serious injury.” Of course, Arsenal fans will be hoping for the same thing, but the news on Saturday night that Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka had followed Maduke back to the club would have done little to calm nerves.

Rice and Saka did not play in the 1-1 draw against Uruguay and were part of the ‘A Team’ group who were supposed to play in Tuesday’s friendly against Japan after some time off. However, they were returned to Arsenal “for medical evaluation”.

Follow the Arsenal FB page! For the latest Gunners news and details, visit our dedicated Facebook page.

read more: Three Arsenal stars have left the England squad due to manager Thomas Tuchel’s ruthless weeding.read more: Coach furious after abusing the host during an awkward moment on live TV

It’s likely just a precautionary measure, but it’s still a concern. The Germans don’t necessarily need to see them play against Japan, as both Saka and Reis are guaranteed to be in Tuchel’s 26-man squad for this summer’s World Cup if conditions are right. But Arsenal certainly cannot afford to lose two of their best players as the season moves into April.

In the coming weeks, the Gunners face Southampton and Sporting Lisbon in the FA Cup and Champions League quarter-finals, as well as a potential Premier League title-clincher against Manchester City. Arsenal recently lost 2-0 to Josep Guardiola’s side in the Carabao Cup final and are aware of the importance of the rematch on April 19. City are currently second in the table with a nine-point difference, but they still have a game in hand.

Arsenal’s next 5 games

Arsenal need key players fit for a run-in, but the wave of international withdrawals suggests players are prioritizing club over country. Ebelesi Eze, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Magalhães, William Saliba, Julian Timber and Martin Odegaard have all been excluded from the national team, while Mikel Merino continues to be absent for an extended period of time.

Apart from Merino, Eze is in the most serious situation of the group, with a calf injury that will keep him out for an estimated four to six weeks. Odegaard, on the other hand, is at the other end of the spectrum and is expected to return to the field after the international break after a month out with a knee injury.

Trossard, Gabriel, Saliba and Timber all withdrew from their respective national teams citing unspecified fitness concerns. All four have played a lot of football for Arsenal this season and have used the international break as important rest time ahead of the final months of the campaign.

Arteta has used the FA Cup pre-season as an opportunity to rotate his squad. Arsenal have fared well in the competition so far, defeating Portsmouth, Wigan and Mansfield, and will now face Championship side Southampton in the quarter-finals next weekend.

The Gunners manager could give his players time to play against Saints with games against Sporting in the Champions League and Bournemouth in the Premier League on the horizon.

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.

England’s 2026 World Cup kit

This article contains affiliate links and we receive a commission from any sales we generate from them. learn more

Various prices

england official store

Buy now from England’s official store

England and Nike have launched new home, away and goalkeeper kits to be worn at this summer’s FIFA World Cup. Use code: ENGFREEDEL to get free shipping on all orders.