Arsenal can put the Premier League title race on the back burner for nine days as focus shifts to cup competitions.
Arsenal will go into their FA Cup fifth round tie against Mansfield and Champions League last-16 first-leg against Bayer Leverkusen in a positive mood.
Victory over Brighton on Wednesday night, while hard fought, was their third Premier League win on the spin and it has allowed Mikel Arteta’s side to open up a seven-point lead.
This is because Manchester City were held to a 2-2 draw by Nottingham Forest at the Etihad Stadium.
There was more good news for the Gunners with Declan Rice and David Raya shaking off knocks to start against Brighton, and Kai Havertz continues to build up his fitness with some important minutes off the bench.
However, William Saliba was absent through injury and it remains to be seen if he can take part in any of Arsenal’s upcoming cup ties before hosting Everton in the Premier League a week on Saturday.
With that in mind, here’s the latest Arsenal injury news and potential return dates...
William Saliba
The Frenchman was a surprise absentee from the Arsenal squad on Wednesday night, though concerns among the fanbase were clear on social media around 24 hours prior.
William Saliba was not spotted in any of Arsenal’s training images ahead of the Brighton game and fans’ worst fears were realised when the team news was announced.
It was then revealed that Saliba was not involved against Brighton because of an ankle issue.
The positive news, however, is that the injury does not sound too serious, and the central defender is currently expected to return next week against Bayer Leverkusen after sitting out the FA Cup clash at minnows Mansfield Town this weekend.
Mikel Arteta said: "He turned his ankle against Chelsea. He managed to finish the game somehow, but he was too sore to play today.”
Potential return date: Wednesday, March 11, vs Bayer Leverkusen (A)
Martin Odegaard
Martin Odegaard was absent entirely against Chelsea after he had returned from a knee injury off the bench at Tottenham, having missed the 2-2 draw with Wolves and FA Cup win over Wigan.
“Unfortunately Martin is still not feeling totally comfortable with that knee injury, and we decided not to risk him,” Arteta explained on Odegaard before the win over Chelsea.
Speaking before the win over Brighton on Tuesday, the Arsenal manager delivered an encouraging update.
"We have to wait and see how comfortable he is to do certain actions,” said Arteta.
Odegaard was not risked against Brighton and it remains to be seen if he features in the FA Cup fifth round tie against Mansfield.
Potential return date: Saturday March 7, vs Mansfield (A)
Ben White
Also absent entirely against Chelsea was Ben White, who had missed the north London derby with an unspecified minor knock.
“Let’s see,” was the only update from Arteta on the versatile defender ahead of the weekend, with no place in the squad forthcoming.
White was then ruled out of the Brighton game and it’s unclear as to when the defender will be available for selection again.
Arteta said on Tuesday: “Ben is not available."
Potential return date: Unknown
Mikel Merino
Mikel Merino is a long-term absentee for Arsenal after undergoing surgery last month on a rare and serious foot injury sustained in the shock home defeat by Manchester United on January 25.
The Spaniard was ruled out for an “extended period” and it remains to be seen if he will play again this season.
“Well, I think the doctors were really happy [with] the way it went,” Arteta said recently. “Yeah, now it starts. Obviously, it's a long process.
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“You're talking about bone healing, so you need to be patient. You respect the timings, and I'm sure Mikel is going to do everything that he possibly can to speed up the process.
“We're talking about months, whether it's three, four or five, we don't know.”
Potential return date: Unknown
Max Dowman
Max Dowman has not made a senior appearance since becoming the youngest player in Champions League history by coming off the bench against Slavia Prague in early November.
The teenager suffered an ankle ligament injury while playing in an Under-21 game against Manchester United at St George’s Park in December.
He committed his future to Arsenal during his time on the sidelines and has been back training for a while, stepping up his return by playing the first 45 minutes for the U21s against Ipswich in the Premier League 2 before going off at half-time in a pre-planned move.
Arteta named Dowman on the bench against Brighton, meaning the youngster could get some minutes in the FA Cup at the weekend.
Potential return date: Saturday March 7, vs Mansfield (A)
