Arsenal Hit By Fourth International Injury Blow As Furious New Signing Raises Alarm

Christos Tzolis endured a difficult Thursday night.

As Greece threw away a 2–0 advantage in front of their home supporters, the new Arsenal crowd favorite had a goal ruled out, clashed with his head coach, and was substituted off while nursing his hamstring.

The high-scoring affair in Thessaloniki had barely gotten underway when Tzolis went down in the 16th minute holding his hamstring. The winger received attention from the medical staff and seemed desperate to continue, only to be firmly told by manager Ivan Jovanović that he was coming off. Tzolis was far from happy about it.

"I'm his coach, I tell him to come out and he says, 'I'm not coming out,'" Jovanović disclosed after the match. "This is something that can characterize the Greek and all these kids who come to play for the national team regardless of age. I think it was a scene that everyone saw, those who were nearby. I told him to get out, because I suspected that he wouldn't have done that [asked for treatment] if he hadn't felt something."

Mikel Arteta will no doubt be grateful for Jovanović's cautious approach given the mounting injury concerns he is already managing.

Christos Tzolis Injury: Progress, Potential Return Date

Jovanović confirmed that Tzolis had picked up a "muscular problem" during the match against the Netherlands. "It wasn't a problem, like an ankle or something else," the manager explained. "When it's muscular issues, that, along with the doctors, with the immediate information I have, was the reason I asked for him to come out immediately."

Scans and additional medical assessments are expected before Greece face Germany this weekend, leaving Tzolis's availability uncertain. "We don't know how much damage was done today, but I hoped it was just a twitch, something temporary," Jovanović admitted.

Tzolis has made an impressive start to his Arsenal career, featuring from the first whistle in all five of the club's Premier League games so far. A key part of his attraction was his outstanding fitness record: since sustaining ligament damage four years ago, Tzolis has missed just one game through injury.

Whether that record will remain intact following this latest scare is yet to be determined, but Arteta's fortunes have hardly been favorable this autumn.

Arsenal's International Injury Scares

Declan Rice

Declan Rice was ruled out before Thomas Tuchel could even assess his key midfielder. The Arsenal dynamo has been battling a range of physical issues for months, including throughout the entirety of the World Cup. Rice was an unwilling absentee from England's autumn fixtures, though Tuchel acknowledged the decision would benefit everyone in the long run.

It remains unclear whether Rice will be fit for Arsenal's Premier League resumption against Leeds United on Saturday, Oct. 10, though he has a well-established history of pushing through discomfort to deliver on the pitch.

Kai Havertz

Kai Havertz's international window lasted just 30 minutes before he was forced off following a collision with Quinten Timber, the twin brother of his Arsenal clubmate Jurriën, in a somewhat ironic twist.

Upon announcing his withdrawal from the squad, the German FA confirmed that Havertz had suffered a "muscle strain," though no indication of a recovery timeline was given. It would not be unreasonable to expect the 27-year-old to be fit ahead of next weekend's Premier League return, but Arteta may be reluctant to rush his forward back given Havertz's history of physical setbacks.

Since tearing his hamstring while blocking a shot during Arsenal's warm weather training camp in February 2025, Havertz has been sidelined for 26 matches with a variety of muscular complaints.

Martin Ødegaard

Arsenal have experienced every kind of injury update during this extended international break — pre-window withdrawals, alarming setbacks, and even a false scare.

Martin Ødegaard sparked concern after taking a knock from Bernardo Silva and subsequently sitting out a Norway training session. However, the Gunners skipper recovered sufficiently to start Thursday's away fixture in Wales, producing a superb assist for Oscar Bobb's opening goal.

Ødegaard appears to have come through the episode without lasting damage, offering Arteta a rare piece of good news during this club break.