Arsenal injury update: William Saliba, Martin Odegaard and Ben White latest return dates | OneFootball

Gunners sweating on the fitness of some key players ahead of two massive cup ties

Arsenal can put the Premier League title race on the back burner for nine days as focus shifts to cup competitions.

Arsenal will go into their FA Cup fifth round tie against Mansfield and Champions League last-16 first-leg against Bayer Leverkusen in a positive mood.

Victory over Brighton on Wednesday night, while hard fought, was their third Premier League win on the spin and it has allowed Mikel Arteta’s side to open up a seven-point lead.

This is because Manchester City were held to a 2-2 draw by Nottingham Forest at the Etihad Stadium.

There was more good news for the Gunners with Declan Rice and David Raya shaking off knocks to start against Brighton, and Kai Havertz continues to build up his fitness with some important minutes off the bench.

However, William Saliba was absent through injury and it remains to be seen if he can take part in any of Arsenal’s upcoming cup ties before hosting Everton in the Premier League a week on Saturday.

William Saliba

The Frenchman was a surprise absentee from the Arsenal squad on Wednesday night, though concerns among the fanbase were clear on social media around 24 hours prior.

William Saliba was not spotted in any of Arsenal’s training images ahead of the Brighton game and fans’ worst fears were realised when the team news was announced.

It was then revealed that Saliba was not involved against Brighton because of an ankle issue.

William Saliba missed the win over Brighton

Getty Images

The positive news, however, is that the injury does not sound too serious and the central defender could be back in time for the Mansfield game, even though he may have been rested anyway.

Mikel Arteta said: "He turned his ankle against Chelsea. He managed to finish the game somehow, but he was too sore to play today.”

Potential return date: Saturday March 7, vs Mansfield (A)

Martin Odegaard

Martin Odegaard was absent entirely against Chelsea after he had returned from a knee injury off the bench at Tottenham, having missed the 2-2 draw with Wolves and FA Cup win over Wigan.

“Unfortunately Martin is still not feeling totally comfortable with that knee injury, and we decided not to risk him,” Arteta explained on Odegaard before the win over Chelsea.

Speaking before the win over Brighton on Tuesday, the Arsenal manager delivered an encouraging update.

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has struggled with injuries this season

AFP via Getty Images

"We have to wait and see how comfortable he is to do certain actions,” said Arteta.

Odegaard was not risked against Brighton and it remains to be seen if he features in the FA Cup fifth round tie against Mansfield.

Potential return date: Saturday March 7, vs Mansfield (A)

Ben White

Also absent entirely against Chelsea was Ben White, who had missed the north London derby with an unspecified minor knock.

“Let’s see,” was the only update from Arteta on the versatile defender ahead of the weekend, with no place in the squad forthcoming.

White was then ruled out of the Brighton game and it’s unclear as to when the defender will be available for selection again.

Arteta said on Tuesday: “Ben is not available."

Potential return date: Unknown

Mikel Merino

Mikel Merino is a long-term absentee for Arsenal after undergoing surgery last month on a rare and serious foot injury sustained in the shock home defeat by Manchester United on January 25.

The Spaniard was ruled out for an “extended period” and it remains to be seen if he will play again this season.

“Well, I think the doctors were really happy [with] the way it went,” Arteta said recently. “Yeah, now it starts. Obviously, it's a long process.

Mikel Merino underwent foot surgery in February

Instagram/Mikel Merino

“You're talking about bone healing, so you need to be patient. You respect the timings, and I'm sure Mikel is going to do everything that he possibly can to speed up the process.

“We're talking about months, whether it's three, four or five, we don't know.”

Potential return date: Unknown

Max Dowman

Max Dowman has not made a senior appearance since becoming the youngest player in Champions League history by coming off the bench against Slavia Prague in early November.

The teenager suffered an ankle ligament injury while playing in an Under-21 game against Manchester United at St George’s Park in December.

He committed his future to Arsenal during his time on the sidelines and has been back training for a while, stepping up his return by playing the first 45 minutes for the U21s against Ipswich in the Premier League 2 before going off at half-time in a pre-planned move.

Back in the squad: Max Dowman

Arsenal FC via Getty Images

Arteta named Dowman on the bench against Brighton, meaning the youngster could get some minutes in the FA Cup at the weekend.

Potential return date: Saturday March 7, vs Mansfield (A)