Arsenal host Manchester United in the Premier League on Wednesday evening following the conclusion of this weekend’s fixtures.
Despite grappling with a series of injury issues, Mikel Arteta and Arsenal have rediscovered their form. Although they’re not yet at the point where all their first-choice midfielders are sidelined simultaneously, the squad is still plagued by problems, particularly in defence.
Despite these fitness concerns, Arsenal have bounced back impressively, winning all three matches since the November international break and netting 13 goals in the process. Martin Odegaard has been instrumental in this resurgence, but there are concerns behind him as Manchester United gear up for their visit to the Emirates Stadium.
Both Gabriel Magalhaes and Riccardo Calafiori were taken off early during the 5-2 victory over West Ham on Saturday, while Mikel Merino and Thomas Partey were also missing. Unfortunately for Arteta, that’s not the full extent of the injuries.
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As Ruben Amorim prepares to bring his United team to north London on the back of a 4-0 triumph over Everton, the Manchester Evening News provides a comprehensive update on Arsenal’s injury situation ahead of the match. Arteta will also address this in his pre-match press conference on Tuesday, reports Football.London.
Gabriel Magalhaes
Injury: Unknown.
Gabriel was taken off at half-time of the Premier League win over West Ham after scoring in the opening 45 minutes. He was also involved in a collision with Lukasz Fabianski where the West Ham goalkeeper appeared to punch him in the head.
Concerns his withdrawal was because of a concussion were high, but Arteta confirmed that was not the case and it was instead a similar problem to the one he felt against Sporting CP earlier this week. Writing on Instagram after the match, he said: “+3 [points] and we continue fighting together!! Thanks for your support gunners!! See you on Wednesday!! [bicep and red heart emojis]”.
What Arteta has said: “It was related to the previous injury he had in Lisbon.”
Possible return date: Manchester United (H) – Wednesday, December 4.
Mikel Merino
Injury: Knee.
After coming off the bench for the final 20 minutes in Portugal, Merino was absent from the group that travelled to West Ham having dealt with a number of issues recently. An Arsenal update said: “Mikel Merino (knee issue) and Thomas Partey (muscle issue) both miss out on tonight’s fixture.”
What Arteta has said: “Unfortunately they both picked [up] an injury and the game came too early and they couldn’t be part of the squad.”
Possible return date: Manchester United (H) – Wednesday, December 4.
Thomas Partey
Injury: Muscular.
Partey was also omitted from the matchday squad to face West Ham after playing the full 90 minutes against Sporting. Announcing the starting XI, Arsenal explained: “Mikel Merino (knee issue) and Thomas Partey (muscle issue) both miss out on tonight’s fixture.”
He posted to his Instagram story at full-time with five shushing emojis over an image of Bukayo Saka with his finger to his lips in celebration. He is among several doubts before Arteta faces the press on Tuesday.
What Arteta has said: “Unfortunately they both picked [up] an injury and the game came too early and they couldn’t be part of the squad.”
Possible return date: Manchester United (H) – Wednesday, December 4.
Riccardo Calafiori
Injury: Unknown
Calafiori was taken off before the hour mark against West Ham. Based on Arteta’s update, there is no major concern but it is clear he may not yet be at full fitness.
He celebrated the win online. Writing on Instagram, he said: “Huge away win!!! Well done boys [red and white heart emojis]”.
What Arteta has said: “Well, he’s been dealing with little niggles in the last few weeks, obviously, he’s had a very serious knee injury and he’s doing really well but we have to manage his minutes. Today we have to do the same.”
Possible return date: Manchester United (H) – Wednesday, December 4.
Ben White
Injury: Knee.
White has been dealing with a number of issues over the last few months. As a result, a decision was made for him to undergo a minor procedure over the November international break.
What Arteta has said: “Ben is going to be out for months. We had to make a decision in the last few weeks, unfortunately. It got to a point where we had to protect the player, and we decided to do the surgery.”
Possible return date: 2025.
Takehiro Tomiyasu
Injury: Knee.
Tomiyasu has played just seven minutes in the 2024/25 season with injuries continuing to plague him. He has struggled throughout the year to get to full fitness.
What Arteta has said: “Tomiyasu is going to be out for a bit. He’s going away for a few weeks to change his environment because it’s been really tough for him. We’re going to give him the best opportunity to try and unlock something, but I think we need to be patient.”
Possible return date: 2025.
