Latest Arsenal injury news as new Mikel Arteta concern emerges after six blows

Arsenal may be top of the Premier League table with a comfortable points gap over Manchester City, but Mikel Arteta still has a number of injury and fitness concerns to contend with.

The Gunners have made a hugely positive start to the campaign, with 11 league games played. Despite drawing their most recent outing away at Sunderland - allowing Manchester City to marginally close the gap - they remain the most in-form team, with eight wins so far.

To have achieved that with so many injuries throughout the squad is hugely impressive, but Arteta will no doubt be crossing his fingers and toes that his players come through the current international break relatively unscathed. Not least because the run-up to Christmas will be intense and demanding, with tricky fixtures against Tottenham, Bayern Munich and Chelsea to come before the end of the month.

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Here, football.london takes a look at the six players currently on Arsenal’s injury list, including a minor fresh concern.

Riccardo Calafiori

Defender Riccardo Calafiori has been a crucial figure for Arteta this season, having started all 11 league games so far. The 23-year-old is away with Italy on international duty, but recent reports from his homeland will be a concern for the Arsenal boss.

According to Tuttomercatoweb, Calafiori trained individually on Wednesday as he nurses a hip injury. As a result, he is unlikely to feature in Thursday night’s game in Moldova.

That said, the issue is not serious enough to have forced the defender to return to London, and he could still play a part in Sunday’s meeting with Norway. That will be music to Arteta’s ears, although the club will be cautious not to exacerbate the problem before the break concludes.

Viktor Gyokeres

Summer signing Viktor Gyokeres has been sidelined for Arsenal’s last two matches - against Sunderland and Slavia Prague - with an apparent muscle issue. Therefore, it was little surprise he was left out of Graham Potter’s first Sweden squad, which was announced earlier this month.

The international break will provide the striker with crucial time to continue his recovery, and it is hoped he will be fit in time for the visit of bitter rivals Tottenham on 23 November.

Martin Odegaard

A more serious concern is the continued absence of captain Martin Odegaard, who has already missed a large portion of the season with various issues.

At the start of the campaign, he was nursing a shoulder problem, but his most recent setback relates to his knee. Arteta confirmed earlier this month that the Norway international is still "some way" from making a return, with late November or early December the reported timeframe at this stage.

Kai Havertz

Forward Kai Havertz has also been absent for most of the season with a knee problem, having sustained the injury in the curtain-raiser against Manchester United back in August. He underwent minor surgery but is still expected to be out of action until later this year.

Arteta provided an update earlier this month and suggested the timeline will largely depend on how Havertz responds to each step of his recovery. He also confirmed that his minutes will be managed carefully once he returns, with December the most likely timeframe for his comeback.

Noni Madueke

Summer arrival Noni Madueke featured regularly at the start of the season but has missed the last 11 games across all competitions with a knee injury sustained in September. He is now believed to be nearing the end of his recovery, and there is hope he will be available for the visit of Spurs after the international break.

Arteta hinted earlier this month that Madueke is among the players who could be fit and available again by the end of November, though he cautioned that certain conditions still need to be met.

Gabriel Martinelli

Gabriel Martinellirecently joined the injury list with a knock that has kept him sidelined for the last four games in all competitions.

Like many of his teammates, it is hoped the Brazilian winger will be available again after the international break. However, Leandro Trossard has been in fine goalscoring form in his teammate’s absence.

Gabriel Jesus

Forward Gabriel Jesus is Arsenal’s longest-term absentee, having been out with a knee injury since the beginning of the year. The 28-year-old is edging ever closer to a long-awaited comeback and has recently rejoined training.

That said, late December or early January remains the expected timeframe for his full return.