Arsenal injury update: Ben White, Riccardo Calafiori, Mikel Merino latest news and return dates

Arsenal hope to welcome two players back from injury this week as they take on Paris Saint-Germain and Southampton ahead of the international break.

While David Raya shook off fitness concerns to feature in the narrow win over Leicester, Ben White was a notable absentee with what is understood to be a groin injury, and also looks set to sit out against PSG.

Mikel Merino will not feature against the French giants, but has returned to training and will hope to make his debut before the Premier League goes back on pause for two weeks.

Here is the latest Arsenal injury news...

Ben White

The defender was a surprise substitute for the draw at Manchester City, the first time he was named on the bench for a Premier League game since May 2022.

Mikel Arteta explained at the time that “it was a little bit forced, but we are ok”, and White then came off the bench at half-time, following Leandro Trossard's red card.

White was rested against Bolton, but Arteta was “hopeful” the defender would be fit to face Leicester only to be absent from the squad entirely. He is now a doubt to face PSG.

Potential return date: Saturday, October 5 vs Southampton

Riccardo Calafiori

Arsenal’s summer signing appeared to hurt his hamstring during the latter stages of the win over Leicester, leading to concern that he could miss out against PSG.

However, he appears to be in contention for the game after training at London Colney on Monday.

Potential return date: Tuesday, October 1 vs PSG

Martin Odegaard

Arsenal still face a number of weeks without Odegaard after the captain suffered a “significant” ankle injury during the September international break. The midfielder was forced off while playing for Norway after landing awkwardly on his left ankle, and was later pictured on crutches as he returned to London.

Arteta has said of Odegaard’s return: “I think it will be a matter of weeks. How long exactly, I cannot tell you.”

Asked if Odegaard will feature before the next international break, Arteta said that would be a “surprise.”

Odegaard has since offered his own update, using the programme notes for the visit of Bolton. He wrote: “I thought I would start with the latest on my injury. It was a bad twist to my ankle, and I damaged some ligaments there, but it’s part of football and now I’m just trying to recover as quickly as I can.

“I’m moving forward, making progress and I’m feeling more positive every day. I’m working hard and my only thought is to get back as soon as possible.

Potential return date: Late October 2024

Mikel Merino

Merino is edging closer to his long-awaited Arsenal debut after returning to training. The summer signing picked up a shoulder injury during his first training session for the club, ruling him out for up to two months.

A month on, Merino is hopeful of this week playing his first minutes. Speaking on Friday, one day before the win over Leicester, Arteta said: “Tomorrow is too soon. Next week we’ll see.

“He had partial training today. He’s been working so hard. It’s looking good. It’s about the healing of the bone and how mature that is to expose him to contact basically.

“We are trying to keep him in the cage, because he has been pushing everybody - all the physios, all the doctors, everybody! He is ready to go and he really wants it. I think we are comfortable now to start exposing him with contact and he looked really good in training.”

Potential return date: Saturday, October 5 vs Southampton

Oleksandr Zinchenko

There has been no sign of Zinchenko in an Arsenal shirt since he featured for Ukraine against Czechia earlier this month.

The left-back has missed the last three Arsenal matches with a calf injury, as he was again not named in the squad against former club Man City.

He now appears unlikely to return before the international break, with Arteta confirming he will be out for “a few weeks”.

Potential return date: Late October 2024

Takehiro Tomiyasu

Tomiyasu is also nearing a return, having joined his team-mates in training after making real progress and was now in a “good place”.

It remains unclear exactly when he will be available for Arsenal again, with Arteta admitting that he is behind the likes of new signing Mikel Merino in the late stages of his recovery.

Arteta said: “He’s progressing really well and is a little bit behind Mikel, but we don’t know with Tomi because he’s another one that pushes every single day. He’s in a good place now I think.”

Potential return date: Later in October

Kieran Tierney

Tierney has been out since he picked up a serious hamstring injury for Scotland at Euro 2024.

As a result, the left-back was not able to secure a summer move away from Arsenal, and has surprisingly been named in the club’s Champions League squad, despite remaining on the sidelines.

Arteta said last month: "He needs to focus on recovering in the best possible way, it’s been a tough time for him again with the last injury. We have to try to support him and make sure he gets back fit."

Potential return date: Unknown