Despite securing two wins and two clean sheets to start the Premier League season, Arsenal's early success has been overshadowed by a growing list of injury concerns. Manager Mikel Arteta is facing a number of fitness issues just two games into the campaign.
The problems began even before the Manchester United match, when Christian Norgaard emerged as an injury doubt. The 1-0 win at Old Trafford then saw both Kai Havertz and Ben White suffer issues that kept them out of the subsequent home game against newly-promoted Leeds United.
The team's mood was lifted by the pre-match unveiling of new signing Eberechi Eze, but the positive atmosphere quickly dissipated as Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard were both forced off with hamstring and shoulder problems, respectively.
Here is a summary of the latest injury news on the five Arsenal players currently sidelined.
Bukayo Saka
Saka's hamstring injury, which he sustained against Leeds United, caused immediate concern given he missed several months of last season with a similar issue. However, there is a silver lining as it has been confirmed that the injury is not a recurrence and affects his other hamstring. The Guardian has reported that the injury is not as severe as first feared, with the BBC adding that he is expected to be out for up to four weeks.
What Arteta has said: "Bukayo, while he was running with the ball, carrying the ball, wrestling with the defender, he felt something in his hamstring. So let's see. I think it's the other one. It's not the same one as the previous injury. He felt something while he was sprinting. That's never a good sign. We'll have to wait tomorrow [Sunday]. Speak to the doctors as well and understand better what he does. But he's had these injuries before. He knows exactly the feeling of that. So let's wait."
Martin Odegaard
Odegaard's shoulder injury is considered an impact issue, which has raised hopes that it won't be a long-term problem. It is understood that the injury is not as bad as initially thought, and the club is hopeful he will be fit to face Liverpool this weekend.
What Arteta has said: "So, Martin felt something in his shoulder when he landed. We don't know. We'll have to scan him tomorrow and understand a bit better."
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