Why Kai Havertz and Ben White are missing from Arsenal squad against Tottenham today | OneFootball

Gunners handed double fitness blow ahead of vital north London derby

Neither the Gunners defender or German international are in the Arsenal matchday squad for the north London derby at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

It is not yet known whether White or Havertz will be available for the Gunners against Chelsea next weekend, but they are likely to be considered doubtful for that showdown at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal do have captain Martin Odegaard back in the matchday squad after missing the last two matches with a knee injury and Mikel Arteta says the midfielder is ready if required from the bench.

“It was Ben, he had a little niggle yesterday and he couldn't make the game."

Arteta has opted to make two changes to the Arsenal side that started the 2-2 draw against Wolves on Wednesday night.

Eberechi Eze comes into the team at No10, meaning the Bukayo Saka experiment comes to an end, while Leandro Trossard is favoured over Gabriel Martinelli on the left-hand side.

The Gunners are aiming to bounce back from their midweek setback at Wolves and respond to Manchester City’s win over Newcastle on Saturday.

As things stand, Arsenal’s lead at the top of the table is two points but they can restore their five-point lead with victory over Tottenham.