Arsenal have been handed a few injury concerns during the international break so far, coming as a slight concern to Mikel Arteta.
The Gunners have 12 players away on international duty across the globe in early September as they represent their nation on the world stage.
Arteta will be hoping that they all come back in peak physical and mental condition for the upcoming challenges.
Arsenal take on Tottenham in the North London Derby immediately after the break, before Champions League action against Atalanta.
If that wasn’t tough enough, Premier League title rivals Manchester City are the opposition lined up for after those two games.
It will take a lot for the Emirates Stadium outfit to get through those three matches, with the whole squad needing to pitch in and help.
With Mikel Merino injured already, the Gunners could do without any other absences from international duty.
So with that said, here’s a quick round-up of the latest injury news coming out of the Arsenal camp.
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Riccardo Calafiori injury latest
Arsenal have been handed a slight injury scare when it comes to summer signing Riccardo Calafiori.
The defender has spent the international break with his nation Italy, starting for them in their UEFA Nations League clash against France.
While the 22-year-old looked to make an impression, he had to come off earlier after suffering a freak injury with Ousmane Dembele falling onto his leg.
Calafiori was later withdrawn from the Italy squad as a precaution to ensure he could be assessed further at Arsenal.
Fabrizio Romano later added that the injury is nothing more than a knock, though it remains to be seen if he will be fit enough to feature in the North London Derby.
Martin Odegaard injury update
Another injury concern for Arsenal came in the form of club captain Martin Odegaard following the draw with Brighton.
Heading into the international break, Norway coach Stale Solbakken revealed a fresh worry for the playmaker.
“I don’t think that’s what it is, I think it’s another bang,” the manager said on potential fitness and injury concerns.
However, he later added a worrying line for Arsenal, claiming: “I was about to say. I think it is something other than the bang, so to speak.”
While there were concerns that the midfielder may well miss the clash with Tottenham, there was some relief to follow.
Odegaard started and played the full 90 minutes for Norway in their disappointing 0-0 draw with Kazakhstan.
It suggests that he is plenty capable of playing through any issues and could be fit upon his return to Arsenal.
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Declan Rice knock in Ireland v England
Declan Rice underscored just how good he is during England’s clash with Ireland as the midfielder grabbed a goal and an assist to help his side toward victory.
Not only did the Arsenal star’s quality show, but his resilient side did too as he received boos from the home crowd for his switch from Ireland to England in the national team setup.
There was plenty of battling on the pitch too, as Rice took a few late challenges in his stride and had to stop once or twice with a knock.
The midfielder managed to see out the full 90 minutes, which will be a relief to the Gunners, though it remains to be seen how those knocks may come up in the aftermath.
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