Arsenal had a couple of injury blows over the international break, ahead of key away games against Tottenham Hotspur, Atalanta, and Manchester City, but they weren’t the only ones.
Spurs have doubts about Yves Bissouma’s fitness after he picked up a knock with Mali, and Manchester City have lost Nathan Ake to injury.
According to Pep Guardiola, Ake won’t return until after the next international break in October, so he’s certain to miss City’s game against Arsenal next week.
“We are unlucky with Nathan and the international team; every time he goes there, he comes back injured,” Guardiola said.
As well as Arsenal, City face Brentford (H), Inter Milan (H), Watford (League Cup, H), Newcastle United (A), Slovan Bratislava (A), and Fulham (H) before the next international break.
21-year-old Oscar Bobb will also be unavailable throughout that period, having been ruled out for three or four months in mid-August.
Erling Haaland is a doubt this weekend for personal reasons, but he should certainly be back by next Sunday.
Unless they suffer further injuries this week, Ake and Bobb are the only players likely to be absent against Arsenal.
On the other side, the Gunners are likely to be without at least Mikel Merino, Martin Odegaard, and Takehiro Tomiyasu, with Riccardo Calafiori and Kieran Tierney’s fitness statuses also uncertain at this stage.
