Mikel Arteta Issues Injury Update Ahead of Leeds United

Arsenal host Leeds United in the first Premier League match in over two weeks, following the extended international break.

The Gunners will look to return to winning ways after their perfect start to life as title defenders was ended by a shock defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion.

Mikel Arteta's side conceded three without reply, from two long-range efforts and a goal from a corner, marking the first time that Arsenal have lost by a margin of three goals since Brighton travelled to The Emirates in May 2023.

Arsenal reportedly faced a Norwich City under-21 side in a friendly whilst the majority of the squad were on international duty, fielding a mixture of senior and academy players in a victory.

Ben White, William Saliba, Piero Hincapié and Cristhian Mosquera were amongst those unavailable due to injury, whilst Declan Rice is set to be fit for selection after spending the break with family in Dubai following his withdrawal from the England squad.

Many of those who went on international duty enjoyed good form representing their country, including Viktor Gyökeres, who became the first player to score in seven consecutive UEFA Nations League matches in the competition's history.

Bukayo Saka and Mikel Merino both scored a brace against Croatia for England and Spain respectively, whilst Martin Ødegaard registered four assists in four games.

Several others picked up injuries on international duty, with Christos Tzolis, Kai Havertz, Ezri Konsa and Max Dowman all now nursing issues.

Tzolis is the only one of the injured internationals who Mikel Arteta has ruled out for the Leeds clash, speaking in his pre-match press conference on Friday.

He disclosed, 'Tzolis has a muscle injury and he's going to be out I think for a few weeks. He's not available yet.'

Saliba joins the Greek winger as the only players ruled out for the Leeds clash, after undergoing surgery on the back injury that cut short his 2026 World Cup campaign.

The Spaniard also revealed that he spoke to Germany head coach Jürgen Klopp after Havertz sustained a muscular injury after just half an hour into Germany's first match of the break, explaining, 'Immediately they sent the player back, as is normal.'

On Konsa, he confirmed that the club maintained 'good communication' with the England camp regarding his fitness. Arsenal's defensive ranks have been bolstered since the Brighton defeat though, with Hincapié and Mosquera both back to full fitness and in contention.

Both Havertz and Konsa will be assessed on Saturday morning, before a decision is made on whether they are fit for the Leeds test.

English pair Max Dowman and Ben White are also available for selection, despite minor injuries sustained in the last month.