Arsenal injuries: Fitness updates and return dates after November international break

Back-to-back victories meant Arsenal headed into the international break full of optimism, and Mikel Arteta will now hope to welcome back several of his injured stars.

The Gunners, like seemingly every club, have had to deal with a mountain of injuries at the start of 2023/24. Their absences has undoubtedly played a role in their less dazzling streak of performances, but Arteta's side have nonetheless been productive.

Arsenal are well-placed towards the top of the Premier League table and are on the brink of progressing into the Champions League knockouts. However, a hectic period is upcoming and Arteta will need as big a squad as possible to close out the calendar year.

Here are the latest updates on Arsenal's current injuries.

Gabriel Jesus

• Injury: Hamstring
• Return date: Brentford (A) - 25/11/2023

Jesus departed Arsenal's Champions League triumph over Sevilla as the match-winner, but that was the last time we saw the Brazilian line up for the Gunners.

A hamstring injury sustained that night has kept the striker out of action for a month, but he was surprisingly called up to the Brazil squad for their November fixtures. After being assessed by the national team doctor, Jesus took part in full training ahead of their huge 2026 World Cup qualifier against Argentina on Tuesday night and is now expected to start the Game.

This indicates that Jesus will be ready to return to the fold this weekend against Brentford, but Arsenal will undoubtedly fear whether Brazil are rushing their leading striker back due to a lack of alternative forward options.

Ben White

• Injury: Knock
• Return date: Brentford (A) - 25/11/2023

White has been a ubiquitous presence in the Arsenal backline since joining the club in 2021, but he wasn't included in the matchday squad when the Gunners beat Burnley 3-1 just before the break.

The versatile defender hasn't picked up a major issue, but Arteta did admit White had been playing with an undisclosed injury for a couple of weeks before he was dropped from the squad.

Nevertheless, after two weeks of recovery at London Colney, the Englishman is expected to be fine for Arsenal's trip to Brentford on Saturday.

Martin Odegaard

• Injury: Hip
• Return date: Brentford (A) - 25/11/2023

Odegaard is yet to hit the heights of 2022/23 at the start of the new season, but his relatively slow start to the campaign might be explained by a hip injury.

Like White, Arteta said his captain has been playing through the issue. Odegaard was an unused substitute during the Gunners' 5-0 thrashing of Sheffield United, and he didn't feature in the games against Newcastle, Sevilla, and Burnley before the break.

His injury forced him to withdraw from the national team squad this month, but Odegaard is expected to return to action right after the break.

Thomas Partey

• Injury: Thigh
• Return date: Out for the rest of 2023

Partey hasn't featured for Arsenal since his cameo appearance off the bench in their 1-0 win over Manchester City.

The midfielder has been an injury liability since he joined the club, often being absent during key stretches of the season, and he's set to miss the remainder of 2023 after undergoing thigh surgery.

While the procedure will aim to resolved Partey's recurring problem, patience is surely running thin in north London. With the 30-year-old competing for Ghana at the Africa Cup of Nations, there's a chance he doesn't feature for the Gunners until February.

Emile Smith Rowe

• Injury: Knee
• Return date: Unknown

Smith Rowe was gaining some momentum before another he suffered another injury setback. The exuberant playmaker saw his 2022/23 season crippled by a groin issue, and now he's dealing with a knee problem.

Arteta said at the start of November that Smith Rowe's injury would keep him out for a "few weeks", but there's no word on when the Englishman will return to the fold.

Jurrien Timber

• Injury: Knee
• Return date: March 2024

Arsenal were dealt a devastating blow on the first day of the Premier League season when impressive summer arrival Timber succumbed to an ACL tear.

It was an injury that could've ended his debut season right there and then, but the Dutch defender is said to be making an excellent recovery which means he could return sooner than initially projected.

Nevertheless, Timber's return is still a few months away yet.

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