If Mikel Arteta receives a spectacular breakdown notice from Manchester City this season, the Arsenal manager may not swap it for a series of injuries to continuation of injuries to the key players he suffered in his disagreeable attempt to win the title as the champion.
In late February, statistics website Transfermarkt showed that out-of-control leader Liverpool lacked at least one key player in 10 games, with goalkeeper Alisson accounting for eight of them.
By then, Bukayo Saka alone had one game, while Martin Odegaard’s captain eight-eighth and played five games as a five-point forward Kai Havertz.
Arsenal’s situation has deteriorated since then, including the April 3 news, inspirational defender Gabriel will miss the rest of the season, and a week later, their Champions League quarter-finals look even heavier.
101greatgoals.com takes a look at the injury dilemma of Arsenal, the possible return dates for Gabriel, Ricardo Calafioli and Kay Javitz, among others, who can start with the remaining Premier League fixtures and against the dominant European champions.
Arsenal injury: Saka strikes
Let’s start with the good news: 101 days after a hamstring injury, substitute Saka made a comeback for seven minutes, proving that it was a crucial goal in a 2-1 home win at Arsenal on April 1.
The injury time of the England striker was particularly shocking due to Saka’s extraordinary start, with his figures separating the 23-year-old as Europe’s most influential creative player and firmly working to break the Premier League record for assists, a 20-season record and retained by Arsenal legend Thierry Thierry Henry and Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne.
Given the 12-point gap between Arsenal and Liverpool in early February, whether he can add 11 assists and 6 goals, but his return and immediate impact cannot be more timely and timely.
“It’s special,” midfielder Declan Rice told Optus Sport after defeating the Goats. “You heard the reaction of the crowd. It was a special moment for B, because he had been lying on his socks for three and a half months.”
Saka scored seven minutes after returning from injury 👊 pic.twitter.com/o67jbvozod
– B/R Football (@brfootball) April 1, 2025
Gabriel: Injury end season
When Gabriel was injured, Arsenal fans would be familiar with the numbers surrounding the performance plunge, as the influence of the centre-back was reminded of when Brazil International missed three games with a knee injury in November and December.
They lost points at Fulham in one of the matches but beat Manchester United and Monaco, and since their debut in 2020, they have won 44% without Gabriel, while the 27-year-old has won 64%.
The obvious problem is that Gabriel, who also contributed five goals and three assists this season, is more important than ever when his team lacks the entire defender. In addition to defeating Monaco, he missed a six-minute Champions League campaign.
“It makes Gabi very sad,” Arteta said after Gabriel lasted 16 minutes and needed surgery before a hamstring injury, adding that Jakub Kiwior does want to compete [deputising]. ”
Cracked: Arsenal has confirmed that Gabriel had a hamstring injury that required surgery after being replaced in the club’s game against Fulham. pic.twitter.com/kgoiyhplzq
– Sky Sports News (@skysportsnews) April 3, 2025
White knee problems reduce Arsenal’s comeback
Ben White’s versatility was very helpful for Ateta, including frontline meetings like Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior, where only the 27-year-old suffered another knee problem in training less than a month after the surgery.
The former England International has played nine minutes in the league since November 10, although he saw his 79-minute game in the second leg of his last 16 games against PSV on March 12, when Arsenal led 7-1 from the first leg.
“Ben White hasn’t played this season,” said Arteta, who praised the natural right-back as “very important” with a transformative qualities of “team dynamics.”
“That’s it. But these boys don’t give you such a reason, we’ll see where we are in April.”
💬”He had a little trouble two days ago. We tried yesterday and he felt something was wrong, so we decided not to put him on the team today.”
Mikel provides an update to Ben White. pic.twitter.com/uasryduetn
– Arsenal (@arsenal) April 1, 2025
tomiyasu: Injury “The most difficult time of my career”
Takehiro tomiyasu had her knee surgery for the first time in March 2023, and the lucky right back tried twice to make a comeback from the same issue this season, eventually ending with a “further correction procedure” on his right knee to end in February.
The only appearance of the Japanese international team, who also missed 13 games in 2023/24 due to a calf injury, was a six-minute outing in Southampton on October 5.
“Of course, it’s the toughest period of my career,” the 26-year-old said on February 18. “It lasts more, but I’m not going to give up.”
Tomiyasu may have to wait until 2026 to return and will certainly be at least 14 months without starting the club. The last occasion was a goal scored by Arsenal 2-1 home win over Everton in the final game of last season.
Calafioli: “The knee feels strange”
Perhaps the most mysterious damage to Arsenal at the moment is suffering that has prevented Riccardo Calafiori from alleviating their problems.
The £33.7 million signed from Bologna last July was injured while playing for Italy on March 20 and now missed over 100 days of football this season, suffering three knee problems, a calf problem and a muscle injury.
“His knees feel weird, but he can’t answer the question of how he feels,” said Azzurri manager Luciano Spalletti, who endured the latest setback through Tutto Mercato. “I can’t figure it out at the moment.”
Calafiori’s comeback seemed encouraging when he achieved a goal and assisted with the opening match against PSV on March 4, but it was one of only three games he had completed in more than three months in Arsenal’s more than 45 minutes. Arteta is optimistic about the return date in a few weeks.
🚨⚠️Arteta: “Unfortunately, Calafiori was injured with the national team.”
“Unfortunately, but luckily, the situation is not worse. Hopefully there are a few weeks.” pic.twitter.com/ervrgm7zbr
– Fabrizio Romano (@fabrizioromano) March 31, 2025
“Exquisite” Martinelli returns to Arsenal
Another aggressive attack from Arteta: Gabriel Martinelli completed the 90-minute game for the first time against Fulham in more than two months and set Saka’s goal.
The striker’s season started, injured and fitness, with hamstring injuries for more than a month in February, after three goals and eight league assists.
Arteta called Martinelli’s “excellent” against the Goats, and estimated he could not make the most of Brazil’s attackers, missing out on nearly seven weeks of hamstring and foot injuries last season in about three months of the game.
“You see how much we miss him,” Arteta said. “This kind of threat, every time he is on the ball, has this offensive purpose.”
Continuous threats 💫
How did you evaluate Martinelli’s performance on Tuesday? 👏 pic.twitter.com/85TI74RQDP
– Arsenal (@arsenal) April 3, 2025
Jurrien Timber is injured again
Arsenal had 338 days fewer players than any other team except City and West Ham, but the first half of last season ended – but Jurrien Timber, who suffered the most knee injuries, missed 254 days except Aston Villa’s Tyrone Mings.
As a result, in his first season at the club, the Netherlands International actually made 41 appearances in all competitions, and then received treatment and lim the foot before suffering a knee injury against Fulham.
Arteta said the wood was “struggling early in the game” in pain. “He managed to keep going, and at some point he couldn’t do it,” he added. “You can imagine – in a week we lost four players on the defensive line.”
The 23-year-old has not given a time scale. Timber played its first 20-month first game at left back in November in a 4-0 win over Hungary.
Mikel Arteta copes with injury response: “It’s like this all season. Martinelli was out for three months. Saka, four months. Havertz, four months. Jesus, almost the whole season. How we managed to be the place for all these injuries.” 😤 pic.twitter.com/3xyag8qhfy
– afcstuff (@afcstuff) April 3, 2025
Kai Havertz: “Very Surprising” Injury
After a brief knee problem in October, Havitz joined Arsenal’s Hamstring Horror Hall when he suffered a late-season injury at a training camp in Dubai in February, re-called for Arteta to sign a forward in front of the game.
“He was going to stop shooting after the fixing, stretch his legs and feel the hamstrings,” the Spaniard said. “We have a great campsite in Dubai.
“[We were] In different environments, recharge, train, have time to rest and connect with nature again. Then the injury occurred in a very unexpected way. ”
Havertz has four of his 15 goals and two of his three assists this season are in the Champions League. The German international scored in a 5-1 victory over Manchester City on February 2 and beat Manchester City on February 2, proving to be his last appearance of the season.
Gabriel Jesus: Another knee injury
Arteta’s “big worries” make sense when Gabriel Jesus lost to Manchester United at Arsenal on January 12, and Brazil’s international team needed surgery on his left knee.
The 28-year-old has had more minor knee, hamstring and groin injuries since surgery on his right knee in 2022, and Arteta said he was able to “understand” the replacement forward phone at the time.
“I can’t love our players more,” Arteta said at the time. “I’m very focused on what I have to execute at the highest level.”
One possible comfort for fans is that Jesus hasn’t been prolific this season, returning to three goals and getting help from assists in the 23 league, Champions League and FA Cup appearances.
Arsenal’s starting team: Who will participate in the game?
Arteta’s biggest question mark is probably right-back. William Saliba will almost certainly start with the centre-back with England freshman Myles Lewis-Skelly at left back.
Left-back or centre-back Kiwior made his debut since December 8, when he replaced Gabriel against Fulham and played against PSV in the second leg.
The experienced Oleksandr Zinchenko, who is also a left-back, has barely played this season, but he scored his second Champions League start in the second leg of the final 16 games, scoring his first goal in the game.
Another left-back, Kieran Tierney, has only started since returning to the Dutch team in November with a hamstring injury.
“We have other incredible players,” Rice reflects Arsenal’s injury difficulties. “No matter who we fight, we’re ready to go. No matter who the manager chooses, we’ll always be ready.”
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