Merino, Odegaard, Tomiyasu – Arsenal injury news and return dates for Man City with Atalanta boost

Mikel Arteta was able to welcome back Declan Rice to his midfield against Atalanta but couldn’t work his side to victory in the Champions League opener on Thursday. Still without Martin Odegaard due to injury, the Gunners ground out a 0-0 draw in Italy.

They now travel to Manchester City in the first meeting between the Premier League’s top two sides of the past two seasons. Pep Guardiola’s side hold a distinct advantage though having not only played a day earlier than Arsenal but also at home and with Arteta due to travel to the Etihad Stadium as well.

Even with the scale of the game, Arsenal’s head coach isn’t in the mood for rotation. “No we are in September,” he said when asked if he was tempted to rest players ahead of the trip to City. “We have to put the best players available to win tomorrow [against Atlanta]. That’s the most important.”

His choice to go strong in Italy ensured a solid start to the league phase but will also put more strain on a small group of players.

Martin Odegaard

Injury: Ankle.

The Arsenal captain missed the North London derby win after suffering an ankle injury during the international break. He is set to be out for a while, although just how long is yet to be specified.

He unsurprisingly did not play any part in training before Atalanta and didn’t feature.

What Mikel Arteta said: “After recent scans the scans showed that he’s got some damage especially on one of the ligaments in the ankle. We’re gonna miss him.”

[Possible timeline?] I don’t want to do that because I’m not a doctor. But it’s something quite significant so we’re going to lose him for a while.”

[Weeks or months?] “Hopefully not months but let’s see.”

Possible return date: Unknown.

Mikel Merino

Injury: Shoulder.

Merino has not yet played for Arsenal after suffering a shoulder fracture in his first training session with the club before the international break. He initially wore a sling when seen at the Emirates Stadium and Sobha Realty Training Complex, but did not have the aid on during the team photo.

What Mikel Arteta has said: “Very unfortunate. Yesterday, he had a collision, and he has a shoulder injury. It looks like he’s going to be out for a few weeks. He was really excited, and everything was looking really good. He landed on the floor, and Gabi landed on top of him, and it looks like he has a small fracture, probably.”

Possible return date: Bournemouth (A) – October 19.

Takehiro Tomiyasu

Injury: Knee.

The Japanese full-back has once more suffered another injury setback having missed large parts of last season. He is yet to feature this campaign.

What Arteta has said: “At the moment, it is difficult to say [when he will return]. It’s a bit slow the process of the first phase of that injury. It’s probably for the medical team to say more than that. He’s not done any training yet.”

Possible return date: Leicester City (H) – September 28.

Kieran Tierney

Injury: Hamstring.

Tierney was expected to leave Arsenal in the summer but picked up a damaging hamstring injury at the Euros with Scotland. He was included in the 25-man Premier League squad earlier this month. He is yet to return to training.

What Arteta has said: “”He needs to focus now on recovering in the best possible way. It’s been a tough time for him, with the last injury. We have to try to support him and make sure he comes back fit.”

Possible return date: Unknown.