Mikel Arteta looks like he hasn’t slept in about three days. Honestly, who can blame him? Every time the man sits down for a press conference, the first thing he gets hit with is a barrage of questions about the Arsenal injury list, and lately, the news hasn't been great. It feels like a revolving door. One guy comes back—maybe it’s Jurrien Timber finally looking sharp—and suddenly two more go down with "muscular tweaks" or heavy contact injuries.
It’s frustrating. For the fans, for the players, and definitely for the medical staff.
If you’ve been following the Gunners for any length of time, you know the "Arsenal DNA" used to be synonymous with beautiful football and a bizarrely high frequency of broken metatarsals. We’re in 2026 now, and while the sports science has evolved massively under Gary O’Driscoll’s successors, the physical demands of the Premier League are just... well, they’re brutal. The schedule is a meat grinder. Between the expanded Champions League format, international breaks that feel like they happen every ten minutes, and the high-pressing system Arteta demands, the squad is being pushed to its absolute limit.
The current state of the Arsenal injury list
Right now, the big concern is the midfield. Martin Ødegaard is the heartbeat of this team. When he’s out, the transition from defense to attack looks clunky. It’s heavy. We saw it earlier this season when he picked up that nasty ankle ligament issue on international duty. That’s the kind of luck Arsenal has had lately. It wasn’t even a training ground accident; it was a freak occurrence while he was playing for Norway. The medical team initially estimated a six-week layoff, but these things are never linear. You have to account for the "return to play" protocols which are stricter than they’ve ever been.
Then you’ve got the defensive situation. Ben White has been playing through the pain barrier for what feels like an eternity. He’s the type of player who would probably try to play with a detached limb if Arteta let him, but eventually, the body gives out. His recent knee procedure was a blow, but a necessary one. You can't keep "managing" a meniscus issue forever without risking a total blowout.
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And don't even get me started on Takehiro Tomiyasu. The guy is a world-class defender when he's fit, but his availability has become a genuine talking point among the fanbase. It’s always something different—calf, hamstring, then a knee issue. It’s heartbreaking because he’s so clearly vital to the tactical flexibility Arteta loves. When Tomi is on the Arsenal injury list, it forces Gabriel and Saliba to play every single minute of every single game. That’s how you end up with "red zone" fatigue.
Why the injuries keep piling up
Is it bad luck? Maybe. Is it the training intensity? Probably a bit of both. Arteta’s sessions are famously intense. He wants "non-negotiables," and that includes physical output. If you aren't sprinting, you aren't playing. But there’s also the sheer volume of games.
FIFA and UEFA keep adding more fixtures. The players are human beings, not FIFA 26 avatars with infinite stamina bars. When you see Bukayo Saka limping off—which feels like a weekly occurrence at this point—it’s a reminder that these young players are carrying an immense load. Saka has played more football at 24 than many legends did by the time they were 28.
- Muscle strains: These are the "avoidable" ones, usually down to fatigue.
- Impact injuries: Think Rice getting his toe crunched or a bad tackle on Martinelli. Nothing you can do about those.
- Chronic issues: This is the Gabriel Jesus territory. The knee that just won't behave.
The way the club manages these is actually pretty fascinating. They use GPS tracking, sleep monitoring, and even blood analysis to check for markers of inflammation. If a player’s "readiness score" is too low, they’re supposed to be rested. But when you’re chasing a title and you’re two points off the top, do you really bench your best winger? It’s a gamble. Every single time.
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Navigating the Arsenal injury list for the second half of the season
The January window is always a temporary fix, but the real solution has to come from squad rotation. Arteta has been criticized for not trusting his bench enough. If Ethan Nwaneri or the other academy graduates don't start getting meaningful minutes, the starters are going to continue to drop like flies.
We also have to talk about the psychological side. When a player sees his teammates going down, it creates a bit of anxiety. Injury contagion is a real thing in sports psychology. You start overthinking your movements. You play a bit more tentatively. And ironically, that’s often when the injuries happen. You have to play at 100% to stay safe in the Premier League.
The good news? Riccardo Calafiori has shown he’s a fast healer. His recovery from that awkward fall earlier in the campaign was ahead of schedule. Having him back provides that "chaos factor" going forward while keeping the backline solid. But the medical room is still too full. As of today, there are five key first-team players unavailable for selection. That’s a lot of talent sitting in the stands wearing expensive puffer jackets.
What should fans actually look for?
Don't always believe the "doubtful" tag on the official Premier League injury sites. Arteta loves a bit of gamesmanship. He’ll say a player is "very close" and then they won't even be in the squad. Or he’ll say they’re out for weeks and then they start on Sunday. It’s all part of the tactical battle.
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The real indicator is whether they’ve been spotted in the "inside training" videos the club posts. If you see them in a bib and participating in the rondos, they’re usually about 72 hours away from being match-fit. If they’re just running laps with a trainer? You’re looking at two weeks, minimum.
Actionable steps for following injury news
Tracking the Arsenal injury list requires a bit of detective work and a lot of patience. If you want the most accurate picture, stop looking at generic sports news aggregators and pay attention to these specific areas:
- Watch the pre-match pressers closely: Look for the specific wording Arteta uses. "Developing well" usually means they are still in the gym. "Trained with the group" means they are back.
- Monitor the international breaks: This is where the most damage is done. Keep an eye on the minutes played by Saka, Saliba, and Rice for their countries. If they play 180 minutes in five days, expect a "knock" when they return to London.
- Check the "Return to Play" timeline: Modern ACL recoveries are roughly 7 to 9 months, but muscular tears (Grade 2) are typically 3 to 4 weeks. If the club is silent, it’s usually a Grade 2 or higher.
- Trust the specialist journalists: People like David Ornstein usually have the scoop on the severity of an injury before the club even makes an official statement.
The reality is that injuries are part of the game. They suck, they ruin your weekend, and they can derail a whole season. But for Arsenal to finally get over the line, they don't just need the best starting XI—they need the best medical team and the luck to keep their key men off the treatment table when May rolls around.