Mikel Arteta reveals Arsenal injury boost on Odegaard, Havertz and Madueke | OneFootball

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has provided a positive update on the injuries of Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz and Noni Madueke, with the Spaniard expecting the trio to make a return soon.

Odegaard and Madueke have been hampered by knee problems in recent weeks, while Havertz has not featured since the opening day trip to Manchester United after going under the knife for hamstring surgery.

Arteta also confirmed that Gabriel Martinelli will miss Saturday’s Premier League clash with Burnley while William Saliba is a doubt, but the Gunners boss was able to fall back on the triple injury boost of three longer-term absentees.

"I would say weeks, and some of them pretty soon, hopefully. We have the international break, but after that we hope to have some of them back," Arteta said.

"I'm excited because they are tremendous players. I see them work every single day, how desperate they are to be part of the team.

"The huge boost that is going to be for the squad to have and those players again, after such a long, long time, so really happy that I think it's going to be very soon."

Arteta warned “anything is possible” if football’s rulemakers ignore clubs over fixture concerns.

Arsenal are set to face Crystal Palace in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup on 16 December which would leave Oliver Glasner’s side – who host Manchester City in the league on 14 December and then KuPS in the Conference League, also at home, on 18 December – facing three matches in just five days.

Palace are hopeful of moving their match at the Emirates to the following week, possibly on 23 December, but it is understood Arsenal’s preferred option is for the last-eight clash to remain on 16 December. Manchester City’s Rodri said last season that players could strike amid an increase in fixtures.

Arteta said: “Every decision that we make in terms of a fixture has to be guided on two main things; players’ welfare, and then supporters, and that is it, and the rest has to come very, very far away from that. And we should never forget that principle.

“If we have that big piece of paper with those two principles there in front before we make any decision, all of us in our industry, we won’t get there. If we don’t and we just ignore that, then anything is possible.”

Arteta continued: “If we look after the players’ welfare and our supporters, we are never going to get to that point (strikes).

Arteta made 10 changes for the Carabao Cup victory over Brighton (John Walton/PA)

“We have to close the window there. We cannot open that window. It has to be closed. It’s our most precious value.

“We have the best league in the world and we cannot just open any window for anything just to lose that because we don’t respect that, and we forget what we are made of and what makes this game and this league so, so special. And if we respect that, I’m sure we’re going to be totally fine.”

Arsenal secured their place in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup after they landed their eighth consecutive win with a 2-0 victory over Brighton at the Emirates on Wednesday.

They will travel to Turf Moor on Saturday with a four-point lead at the top of the table and a defence that has not been breached for six matches.

Asked if there is a feeling within his camp that Arsenal are unstoppable at the moment, Arteta replied: “No, because you always have that sense of urgency, and you see the complications and the challenges that the next opponent is going to bring you, and we know that and every three days, we have very little time to train and prepare.

“It’s a big opportunity that we have ahead of us, but we have to continue with that level of consistency, and we know how difficult that is.

“Tomorrow is going to be an extremely tough match for us, and we’re going to have to again hit those performance levels.”