Arsenal face a growing injury crisis ahead of their Premier League return against Nottingham Forest, with Bukayo Saka, William Saliba, and Kai Havertz among those sidelined. The Gunners lost 1-0 to Liverpool before the international break, a result that stalled their early-season momentum.
Saka suffered a left hamstring tear during the 5-0 win over Leeds on August 23, his second such injury in nine months. Manager Mikel Arteta confirmed the winger will miss “a few weeks” but does not require surgery. Saka withdrew from the England squad and is unlikely to return before the September 21 clash with Manchester City.
Saliba twisted his ankle in the warm-up at Anfield and limped off after five minutes, replaced by Cristhian Mosquera. He subsequently pulled out of the France squad. French outlet L’Equipe reported he could miss three to four weeks, potentially ruling him out of seven matches, including fixtures against Athletic Club, Manchester City, and Newcastle.
Havertz underwent minor knee surgery after coming off the bench against Manchester United. Arteta described his absence as “many, many weeks,” with the German also missing the Liverpool defeat. He is another key player with a history of serious injury, having missed most of last season’s second half with a hamstring tear.
Captain Martin Odegaard returned from a shoulder complaint as a substitute at Anfield and featured for Norway during the break. Ben White, who missed the Leeds and Liverpool games with a knock, is expected to be available for the visit of Nottingham Forest on Saturday, providing a boost to Arteta’s depleted squad.
