SETTABLOID

Arsenal finally return to Premier League action this weekend after a two-week break due to the international break.

The Gunners have not played since the 3-1 victory over Southampton on October 5, with Mikel Arteta’s side travelling to Bournemouth on Saturday. As Manchester City and Liverpool are both in action on Sunday, Arsenal know a win will propel them to the top of the league table.

The north Londoners may go into the clash against the Cherries without a number of first team stars due to injury, however. Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli are perhaps the main concerns ahead of the match at Vitality Stadium.

Saka limped off during England’s Nations League loss to Greece with a suspected muscle injury, Havertz did not join up with his Germany teammates due to a knee issue and Martinelli complained of pain in his calf while away with Brazil. The injury concerns do not stop there, however.

Arsenal have almost a dozen injury doubts heading into their first Premier League match following the October international break against Bournemouth.

The Gunners are back in action away on the south coast for a Saturday evening kick-off. However, they face being without several players despite having precious extra hours to prepare compared to some of their rivals.

Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United kick off the weekend with a London derby, while Aston Villa, Manchester United and Newcastle United are all in action that same afternoon. But after a second arduous international break of the season, Arsenal are at risk of travelling down to Dorset with a depleted squad because of the injury issues they are currently dealing with.

This weekend’s opposition also hardly helps their cause, as Neto is ineligible, with the Cherries being his parent club. That means Jack Porter could be back in the matchday squad again after debuting against Bolton Wanderers in the club’s third-round Carabao Cup tie if Tommy Setford is still injured.

Martin Odegaard will also be missing again because of his ankle injury. He did not join the Norway national team this month, and Kieran Tierney, who has yet to play this season despite returning to individual training last month, was also not called up by Scotland and is unlikely to feature so soon.

Takehiro Tomiyasu is also doubtful after a reported recurrence of his knee injury, which he only returned as a late substitute against Southampton. Ben White was not involved against the Saints because of a knee issue, nor was Jurrien Timber after being substituted at half-time against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

Oleksandr Zinchenko has been out with a calf injury since August, and it is still unclear if he will be back for the weekend. Gabriel Martinelli ‘s right calf is also a concern after he hurt it while training with Brazil last week.

Former England star Wilshere, 32, is currently in charge of Arsenal’s Under-18 squad and has been impressing.

Norwich have targeted Wilshere to replace Spaniard Narcis Pelach, who left to take charge of Stoke City last month.

The East Anglians are now talking with Arsenal about compensation to take Wilshere to Carrow Road.

Wilshere has been coaching for nearly two-and-a-half years, stepping into his first role shortly after retiring from professional football.

The 32-year-old spent most of his playing career at Arsenal, coming through the ranks at the Emirates Stadium and making 197 appearances in red and white.

Wilshere also played for Bournemouth, West Ham, Bolton Wanderers and Danish club Aarhus GF.

Sadly, the former England international’s career was severely impacted by injuries, which led to him retiring at age 30.

Wilshere, who retired in July 2022, moved into coaching just four days after hanging up his boots and was appointed as the new Under-18s boss at Arsenal.

During his first season in charge, Wilshere led his team to the FA Youth Cup final – a game in which they lost to West Ham.

This term, Arsenal are unbeaten in the Under-18s Premier League, picking up nine points from their opening five matches under Wilshere.

Arsenal have enjoyed an impressive start to the season, despite suffering with a number of injuries. The Gunners are third in the table after seven games, level on points with reigning champions Manchester City and just one point adrift of leaders Liverpool.

They have secured a position at the top having already played and been unbeaten against North London rivals Tottenham, Aston Villa and City away from home.

They face a defining run of fixtures between now and the November international break, as they look to banish back-to-back runners-up finishes and claim the Premier League title come May.

Heading to the Vitality Stadium to face Bournemouth on Saturday, manager Mikel Arteta does not yet know if the likes of Kai Havertz, Ben White, Jurrien Timber, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli or Martin Odegaard will be available. So far this season, though, they have coped with the injury problems that have been thrown at them.

Saka has been the key, with an impressive three goals and seven assists in nine Premier League and Champions League games. He has, as ever, been the Gunners’ talisman, despite his tender years.

Martinelli has come to the fore of late, after a difficult start to the campaign, with two goals and two assists in his last three matches. that is his total for the season to date.

The Norwegian went down with an ankle problem during the last international break, and he hasn’t played for Arsenal since, missing crucial games against Manchester City and PSG during that period.

There was some speculation on social media this week that Odegaard’s injury is actually worse than first feared, and some stated that the midfielder wouldn’t be back in action until December.

Wheatley shared what he’d been told about Odegaard and his return to action.

The journalist says that Odegaard should be back in November, despite suggestions online.

Wheatley also noted that Arsenal are handing this situation. with the utmost care as they don’t want the injury to re-occur.

Martin Odegaard’s injury has been a real spanner in the works for Arsenal, and the Gunners have been very coy about when the Norwegian could return.

Indeed, Mikel Arteta couldn’t confidently say when Odegaard would be back when this injury occurred.

Riccardo Calafiori has revealed that Arsenal started contacting him ONE year before he made the £42million move from Bologna to the Emirates. The 22-year-old signed a five-year contract with the Gunners in July after impressing for Italy at Euro 2024 and in the Serie A last season.

Calafiori made his debut off the bench against Aston Villa in August but has since cemented himself as a vital member of the Arsenal squad. In fact, he has started each of their last six matches across all competitions, including the last three in the Premier League.

He scored his first Arsenal goal in the 2-2 draw at Manchester City last month and is proving to be an excellent addition following his summer switch. However, Calafiori has now admitted that he had been in contact with the Gunners for a year before his move, which included calls from Mikel Arteta.

Arteta has been impressed with Calafiori since his blockbuster move to north London and heaped praise on him after scoring against City. “He came back, had a little glimpse, then went on international duty and got injured, so we had to manage him again,” Arteta said in a press conference.

The Gunners are back in action after the international break when they make the trip to Bournemouth on Saturday. Arteta’s side have won their last two Premier League matches and will be trying to make it three on the spin against the Cherries, who fell to a disappointing 1-0 defeat at Leicester last time out.

Mikel Merino has been left with nothing but admiration for Mikel Arteta and his Arsenal training so far. Having joined the club late on in the summer transfer window it has been a frustrating start to life back in England, but Merino is extremely impressed.

Following an unfortunate shoulder injury that kept him sidelined for the first two months of the season, Merino only made his debut in the week before the October international break, coming off the bench against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. He then had half an hour four days later at home to Southampton.

With Arteta balancing injury issues, suspension, and availability problems across his squad, the absence of Merino has been felt. Arsenal are still unbeaten as domestic action is set to return though, with Bournemouth set to play host on Saturday.

Merino will be expecting to continue his road to full match sharpness on the south coast. His chances of playing have been boosted by making two appearances for Spain during the fortnight away from club football.

It was playing for his country over the summer that caught the attention for many. Merino bagged an extra-time winner in the quarter-finals against Germany, arriving in the box to score a wonderful header.

Leandro Trossard is already eying the future beyond his playing days at Arsenal.

The 29-year-old has been an important player for the Gunners since moving from Brighton & Hove Albion in January 2023. Earning himself the reputation of being a deadly finisher, the Belgian has scored some important goals for Mikel Arteta during his near two-year spell at the club.

While still giving his all on the pitch, Trossard has been laying the groundwork for a career after retirement. The former Gent star has already undertaken a coaching course and has earned his A-licence.

Trossard may not be set on coaching just yet but he credits Arteta and other managers he has worked with for influencing the style of football he would play if he was to go into management.

Trossard, who was linked with an exit to Saudi Arabia in the summer, may well have a decision to make over his future in the coming months as his Arsenal contract expires in the summer of 2026. Edu and Arteta will not want to lose a player of Trossard’s quality for nothing so the Belgian may need to decide whether he signs a new contract at Emirates Stadium or leaves permanently.

Arsenal forward Leandro Trossard is already laying the groundwork for his post-playing career, despite being far from finished on the pitch. At 29, the Belgian international has taken steps to prepare for life after football, even as he continues to contribute for both club and country.

During the recent international break, Trossard played a full 180 minutes and found the back of the net for Belgium, proving he still has plenty to offer on the field.

However, the former Brighton star has been proactive in securing his future beyond his playing days. While at Brighton, he began pursuing coaching qualifications and has since earned his UEFA A License. Trossard reflected on the challenges of the course, particularly the demands of session design and the theoretical aspects.

Trossard also highlighted the difficulties coaches face, including refereeing during training sessions. “When you’re the coach, you have to make the calls. Players might moan when the ball goes out of play, but it’s not always easy to get those decisions right yourself!”

As Trossard gets older, his interest in football analytics has grown. He now values the data and insights that help him improve his performance and recover more effectively. “The older I get, the more I enjoy the analysis side of things. I never used to care about that, but now I want to know my stats and how I perform in games. It’s also useful for recovery, especially with our tough schedule.”

Trossard reflected on how much the game has evolved since his early days in Belgium, where there was little focus on data and analysis. “Back then, we just went on the pitch, trained, and then went home!”

Arsenal are back in Premier League action this weekend as domestic football returns after the international break. The Gunners travel to take on Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday evening (5.30pm kick-off).

Ahead of the game, Mikel Arteta does have some injury worries from the international break. One of those is Bukayo Saka, who has been a key player for Arsenal so far this season.

The winger started England’s Nations League clash against Greece on Thursday but was taken off early in the second half with a hamstring injury. Following initial tests with the England medical team, Saka travelled back to London Colney for further assessment.

The 23-year-old has started every one of Arsenal’s Premier League games this season and has provided seven assists in his seven appearances. The England man has also scored twice, including in the 3-1 win over Southampton in his last outing for Arsenal.