Arsenal Faces Champions League Crunch Time Without Three Star Players
Arsenal were missing Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and skipper Martin Ødegaard from their last training session in north London before departing for Bilbao ahead of Tuesday's Champions League curtain-raiser against Athletic Club. Nevertheless, Mikel Arteta was able to welcome back several important players.
The Gunners have been hit by injury worries throughout the opening stages of the new league campaign. Havertz required knee surgery following a physical appearance during the season's opening weekend, while both Saka and Ødegaard suffered injuries during the August clash with Leeds United.
William Saliba managed fewer than five minutes against Liverpool just before September's international window, and Ødegaard was substituted once more during Saturday's win over Nottingham Forest.
Arteta revealed over the weekend that Arsenal's captain had sustained damage to the same shoulder that kept him out against Leeds previously. The reliable skipper was absent from the club's public training session on Monday, raising significant questions about his participation in the Spanish trip.
Saka is expected to remain alongside Havertz in the medical bay for an extended period, though Saliba presents a more promising recovery timeline. The commanding defender had recovered sufficiently from his ankle sprain to participate in complete team training this week. Whether Arteta will deploy his influential centre-back against Athletic remains uncertain, especially with a crucial encounter against Manchester City approaching on Sunday.
Christian Nørgaard also returned to training at London Colney. The value signing from Brentford has yet to feature competitively after picking up an injury just before the new season began. With Martin Zubimendi excelling in the defensive midfield position, there's no urgency regarding Nørgaard, though Arteta has frequently paid the price for overusing his key players.
Declan Rice enjoyed an uncommon rest this weekend. Following a demanding international period with England, Arteta named his most reliable midfielder among the substitutes for Forest's visit. Even when Ødegaard was injured in the opening half, Arsenal's proactive manager avoided turning to Rice, instead trusting young Ethan Nwaneri.
The 18-year-old could feasibly start for Arsenal against Athletic with Ødegaard unavailable. Eberechi Eze provides another option in that creative midfield position should Gabriel Martinelli resume his role on the left flank, while there's also the possibility of a pragmatic midfield combination featuring Rice, Zubimendi and Mikel Merino.
In contrast to previous seasons, Arteta has numerous alternatives available to him.