Arsenal injury update: Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, Ben White latest news and return dates | OneFootball

Gunners dealt new injury worry ahead of London derby against Chelsea

Arsenal will hope their recent wobble is firmly behind them as they prepare for another London derby this weekend.

The Gunners bounced back from disappointing draws against Brentford and Wolves to beat Tottenham 4-1 on Sunday to restore their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League table.

In further good news for Arsenal, captain Martin Odegaard returned from a two-game absence with a knee issue to set up Viktor Gyokeres for his second goal in stoppage time.

However, Bukayo Saka was struggling towards the end after an accidental clash with Xavi Simons, while Kai Havertz and Ben White were both left out of the matchday squad entirely.

Bukayo Saka

Saka limped off right at the start of second half stoppage time against Tottenham after coming off worse in a tangle with Simons as he tracked back to do some defending.

The Arsenal No7 received treatment on the pitch before hobbling off to be replaced by Noni Madueke who then saw out the remaining seven minutes.

Bukayo Saka limped off against Tottenham

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Mikel Arteta made no mention of Saka in his post-match press conference and the fact the winger was moving around freely afterwards suggest his knock is not too serious and should be available to face Chelsea.

Potential return date: Sunday March 1 vs Chelsea (h)

Kai Havertz

Havertz has now missed Arsenal’s last four games in all competitions with a muscular injury sustained in the 3-0 win over Sunderland at the beginning of the month.

The forward was always expected to sit out the north London derby, but Arteta raised hopes of a comeback during his pre-match press conference on Friday.

Ultimately, the Spurs game came too soon for Havertz and he must now be considered a doubt for the showdown against his former club this weekend.

"We tried with Kai, it was too early unfortunately,” Arteta said.

Potential return date: Sunday March 1 vs Chelsea (h)

Ben White

White was a surprise omission from the Arsenal squad against Tottenham and his absence led to Cristhian Mosquera getting minutes at right-back after replacing Jurrien Timber, who was on a yellow card, in the second half.

It was mentioned during Sky Sports coverage that White had suffered a muscular injury and Arteta confirmed the new injury blow when speaking ahead of kick-off.

Ben White picked up an injury in training before the Tottenham game

Arsenal FC via Getty Images

“It was Ben, he had a little niggle yesterday and he couldn't make the game,” the Arsenal manager said.

Potential return date: Sunday March 1 vs Chelsea (h)

Mikel Merino

Mikel Merino is in race to play again this season after undergoing surgery on a foot injury.

Confirming the timeline, Arsenal said in a statement this month that Merino has been ruled out for “an extended period, with the aim of returning to full training before the end of the season”.

An update was provided by Merino’s father Miguel, who told Spanish radio station Cadena Ser: “Despite the problem, he’s accepting the situation.

“There’s uncertainty because the recovery time isn’t well understood as there’s no history of this type of injury.

Sidelined: Mikel Merino

Instagram/Mikel Merino

“It’s a stress fracture. It’s not an injury to the toes, it’s a bit more internal. It’s an injury that isn’t very well documented. There are many doubts regarding his recovery.”

Arteta issued a further update last weekend, before the Brentford draw, when he said: "Doctors were really happy.

“Starting a long process, you're talking about bone healing. You need to be patient and respect the timeframe. We're talking about months - three, four or five we don't know."

Potential return date: June 2026

Max Dowman

Arsenal have been boosted after Arteta confirmed Dowman is closing in on a comeback.

Dowman has been out for two months with an ankle injury but the 16-year-old is on course to return soon.

Issuing a new update on Dowman, Arteta said before the Brentford game: “He's doing really well, about a week away.”