Mikel Arteta could be without four Arsenal players for the Premier League clash against Fulham after a new injury blow emerged
Arsenal will be without Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber through injury for today’s Premier League clash against Fulham. There is also major doubt surrounding captain Martin Odegaard after he was forced off during the Champions League semi-final first leg against Atletico Madrid.
Timber and Havertz missed that European clash entirely, though Arteta is hopeful the latter could be back for the second leg at Emirates Stadium. Exactly when Timber may return is unclear while Odegaard also seems set to feature against the Spanish club next week having not been ruled out of the Fulham match.
Mikel Merino is undoubtedly going to miss both of those games as he is still recovering from foot surgery back in January. The Spaniard has delivered an update on his rehabilitation with there hope he can play again this season.
With all of that being said, football.london has taken a look at the latest updates on Arsenal’s injured stars and when they could return to action.
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Martin Odegaard
Odegaard was substituted in the 57th minute against Atletico with it later emerging that decision was made due to knee discomfort.
What Arteta has said: “Let’s see [if he can play vs Fulham].”
Possible return date: Atletico Madrid (H) – Tuesday, May 5
Kai Havertz
Havertz picked up his latest injury last weekend against Newcastle United. He missed Arsenal’s last game and will be absent for their next fixture but Arteta is hopeful he will be back for the Champions League semi-final second leg.
What Arteta has said: “The focus has to be on availability and performance, and Kai is desperate to be on the pitch as quickly as possible. He cannot be for this game, but hopefully for Atletico he will be available and he’s pushing in every boundary to achieve that. There is no time to have these kinds of discussions now.”
Possible return date: Atletico Madrid (H) – Tuesday, May 5
Jurrien Timber
Timber has not played for Arsenal since the 2-0 victory over Everton. It is still largely unknown exactly when he will be back available.
What Arteta has said: “Jurrien (Timber) will be out.”
Possible return date: Late May.
Mikel Merino
Merino is another that does not have an obvious return date with the 29-year-old undergoing surgery roughly three months ago.
What Merino has said: “It’s going great. Slowly, which is frustrating for a guy like me who wants to help my team every time.
“But it’s going great. It’s one of those injuries that are very special that you have to take care of them. I have to do the little steps first. If everything goes the right way, I’ll start jumping. Very, very happy with how the injury is going. Hopefully, soon, I’ll be progressing even more.”
Possible return date: Crystal Palace (A) – Sunday, May 24.
