Arsenal injury update: William Saliba, Declan Rice, Gabriel Martinelli, Riccardo Calafiori, Martin Odegaard and Noni Madueke latest news and return dates as Mikel Arteta set for major injury boost ahead of Burnley clash…

Arsenal injury update: Latest news on William Saliba, Max Dowman, and Gabriel Martinelli’s return dates.

 

Gunners face new injury worry in Carabao Cup.

 

On Wednesday evening, Arsenal advanced to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, but they may have incurred a new injury concern along the way.

 

The Gunners, fielding a significantly altered lineup, managed to bounce back from a lackluster first-half display—where they failed to register a single shot on target and conceded several opportunities—thanks to goals from Ethan Nwaneri and Bukayo Saka in the second half, securing a 2-0 win.

 

Max Dowman made history as the youngest player to start a first-team match for Arsenal, but he was seen post-match with ice applied to his leg.

 

Although it seems unlikely that either would have participated on Wednesday, William Saliba and Gabriel Martinelli are currently sidelined due to injuries sustained during the victory over Crystal Palace.

 

Declan Rice

Shortly thereafter, Declan Rice had to be substituted in the second half after sustaining a knock.

 

As Mikel Arteta was managing other substitutions at that moment, he had to make a swift decision and brought on Mikel Merino.

 

After the match, Arteta commented: “Declan was also struggling from the first half with a knock he received … with Declan, I’m not entirely sure because it was a knock.

 

“But I can’t determine if it was the calf, the Achilles, or something else.”

 

Rice was able to walk onto the pitch at full-time to celebrate the win, and Arteta confirmed on Tuesday that the midfielder was “available” to play against Brighton if needed.

 

Expected return date: Burnley (a) on Saturday, November 1, 2025.

 

Riccardo Calafiori

Riccardo Calafiori was another player who had to leave the field during the 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace, coming off at the same time as Rice due to a knock.

 

Arteta had little to add regarding this situation after the match, other than acknowledging the late substitution, and confirmed on Tuesday that Calafiori was fit for the Carabao Cup match the following day.

 

Expected return date: Burnley (a) on Saturday, November 1.

 

Gabriel Martinelli

Gabriel Martinelli came on for Bukayo Saka in the 66th minute and helped secure the win, but he was seen limping down the tunnel after the match.

 

When reporters inquired about Martinelli’s condition, Arteta responded: “Yes, I believe so.

 

“We need to assess that situation. He felt a bit uneasy. He mentioned he sensed something. We are uncertain if it’s a muscular problem or not. We will have more information tomorrow.”

 

However, when asked for an update on Friday, Arteta confirmed that Martinelli had sustained an injury that would prevent him from participating in the match against Brighton, and he was uncertain about the severity of the injury.

 

He informed reporters: “We don’t have clarity yet, but I believe this match will come too soon for him.”

 

Potential return date: Unknown

 

Max Dowman

Max Dowman delivered another impressive performance on Wednesday, capturing attention in the Carabao Cup last-16 match against Brighton when he made his first senior start at just 15 years and 302 days old.

 

The young player – who has recently signed a scholarship agreement with Arsenal – received a standing ovation from the enthusiastic crowd at Emirates Stadium and a heartfelt hug from Arteta as he was substituted for Saka with just under 20 minutes remaining.

 

However, this raised slight injury concerns when he was seen with ice on his left thigh while walking around the pitch after the 2-0 victory. Arsenal manager Arteta was not questioned about any possible injury following a match where the player was frequently fouled as the opponents attempted to diminish his evident threat.

 

Potential return date: Burnley (a) on Saturday, November 1, 2025

 

William Saliba

While it was his center-back partner Gabriel whose fitness was in doubt before the match, Saliba ended the day with a fitness issue of his own.

 

Saliba started the game alongside Gabriel on Sunday afternoon but was substituted at halftime, even though he displayed few signs of discomfort.

 

After the match, Arteta acknowledged the problem but could not provide further details. He informed the media: “Willy obviously had to come off after the first half … there are two factors concerning his substitution.”

 

In an update released on Tuesday, Arteta confirmed that Saliba would miss the home match against Brighton in the Carabao Cup, and the club was in the process of “assessing him.”

 

Expected return date: Unknown

 

Martin Odegaard

Odegaard has faced a challenging season with injuries thus far. After fully recovering from a persistent shoulder issue, misfortune struck for the Arsenal captain during the match against West Ham.

 

Once again substituted in the first half, the club later confirmed that the midfielder had sustained a medial collateral ligament injury.

 

Odegaard himself has explained why a return date cannot currently be established.

 

“It’s difficult to determine a return date with this kind of injury because, particularly since it’s my left leg, much depends on how I feel when I begin to return to the pitch,” he stated.

 

“Sometimes it can be quite painful when I start passing the ball and shooting and all those activities with that leg, so it’s really challenging to specify a date.

 

“All I can say is that I’m making good progress at the moment. I believe we will have more clarity when I start training again, and we’ll see how that goes. If everything goes well, it could be quick.”

 

When asked again on Friday about his captain, Arteta mentioned that it was difficult to estimate a timeline for the Norwegian’s return, conceding that it would take “weeks” before he could return to play.

 

Expected return date: November 23, 2025 vs Tottenham (H)

 

Noni Madueke

The summer acquisition from Chelsea was having a strong start at Arsenal, but encountered a setback during the draw against Manchester City.

 

Taken off at half-time due to a knee issue, fortunately, scans the following day revealed that Noni Madueke had not sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

 

Although the injury is not overly serious, Arteta has indicated that he anticipates being without the winger for a while.

 

“It appears he will be unavailable for several weeks,” the Gunners manager informed the media. “We are still uncertain. Most likely, we will need to conduct another scan on him next week.

 

“He experienced discomfort at the start of the match. He attempted to continue, but by half-time, it was too painful, so we will have to wait and see.”

 

Expected return date: November 2025

 

Kai Havertz

Havertz has not played for Arsenal since coming on as a substitute in the second half during the victory against Manchester United at the beginning of the new season.

 

After expressing discomfort in his knee, the German international underwent minor surgery to address the problem.

 

The club remains hopeful that Havertz will be out for weeks rather than months, with Arteta mentioning “many, many weeks” in his last update prior to the loss against Liverpool in August.

 

If everything goes as planned, Arsenal’s No29 might be ready for selection again before the next international break.

 

On Friday, Arteta was queried about the status of Havertz, Madueke, and Odegaard.

 

“I would estimate weeks, and some of them quite soon, hopefully – if they continue to progress as they have been,” he stated.

 

“It’s challenging to pinpoint a specific match, considering we have the international break – which is a two-week hiatus.

 

“After that, I believe we will have some players returning. I can’t guarantee it will be all of them, but some should be quite close by then.”

 

Expected return date: November 2025

 

Gabriel Jesus

Gabriel Jesus last played for Arsenal during the FA Cup third round defeat to Manchester United in January, which ended in penalties.

 

The Brazilian has faced ongoing knee problems throughout his time in N5 and had to undergo yet another surgery for a torn cruciate ligament.

 

Jesus has been keeping fans informed about his recovery over the summer, sharing videos of himself training on the grass in a significant update.

 

The Brazilian recently stated: “Yeah, I’m feeling fantastic, man. My knee is responding very well. So now I’m eager to be back with the team soon, to return to doing what I love. It’s been too long.

 

“An injury like this, one that lasts so long, requires you to break the recovery periods into smaller segments. So now I’m at a point where I need to restrain myself a bit, because I’m making great progress outside on the pitches, but it’s challenging since I must avoid rushing myself too quickly over the finish line.

 

“When you can see the finish, it’s crucial not to push too hard, to keep my feet on the ground, and then as soon as the moment arrives, I will be prepared.”

 

Potential return date: Late 2025