Arsenal Stars Return from Injury Hell to Fuel Champions League Dreams

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta remains optimistic that Martin Ødegaard might feature in the Gunners' Champions League encounter against Bayern Munich this Wednesday, as the Norwegian midfielder has returned to training sessions along with long-term injury victim Gabriel Jesus.

Ødegaard has been sidelined for extended periods this campaign due to shoulder and knee problems. Arsenal's skipper has only appeared in seven of the club's 18 fixtures across all competitions, while Jesus appears to be nearing his comeback after sustaining an ACL injury in January.

"We'll hold a discussion shortly to determine Martin's availability," Arteta informed the media on Tuesday. "He came very close to selection for our last match, so we remain optimistic he could be included in tomorrow's squad."

Eberechi Eze has stepped up in Ødegaard's absence and netted a treble during the commanding 4–1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in Sunday's north London derby—his impressive performances suggesting the 26-year-old may not automatically reclaim his starting position.

Regarding Jesus, Arteta is wisely exercising patience with the Brazilian striker and refuses to accelerate his return until he's fully prepared.

"[Jesus is] fairly close to be honest, and it's sooner than we anticipated," Arteta explained, before continuing "... in the coming days he'll take another progressive step, with a match we're arranging for him, and following that he'll simply be ready to compete, because he's Gabriel, a champion, that's his nature."

Arteta: Havertz, Gyökeres Making Progress Toward Comeback

Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyökeres are likewise approaching their returns. The Arsenal boss stated both players are in "excellent condition" and competing for inclusion against Chelsea this Sunday.

Havertz hasn't appeared since Arsenal's Premier League season opener versus Manchester United on August 17 due to a knee problem. Gyökeres was substituted early against Burnley before the November international break with a muscular issue.

Arteta has deployed improvised forward Mikel Merino in attack during these offensive absences. While the Spanish midfielder demonstrates a talent for contributing goals—providing the assist for Leandro Trossard's opening strike on Sunday—potentially recovering three attackers reinvigorates an Arsenal squad facing 10 matches within a 34-day period.

Arsenal welcomed back both Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli for the Spurs clash, and Riccardo Calafiori was also questionable before the north London derby prior to completing the entire 90 minutes.

Both Madueke and Martinelli are expected to be available against Bayern Munich, although Arteta frequently rotates his defensive lineup with Myles Lewis-Skelly potentially getting the nod on Wednesday instead of Calafiori.

2025–26 Arsenal Injury History