Arsenal’s international injury crisis sees 11 players withdraw

Credit: Getty Images

Arsenal faced an unprecedented challenge during the recent international break as eleven first-team players withdrew from their national squads, sparking controversy among rival supporters who questioned the timing of the absences.

The exodus began immediately after the Gunners’ Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City at Wembley. William Saliba was first to pull out of France’s squad with a left ankle injury, followed swiftly by Jurriën Timber who missed the City clash entirely due to a groin problem.

Within 24 hours, the withdrawals accelerated. Gabriel Magalhães excused himself from Brazil duty, while Leandro Trossard did likewise for Belgium. Eberechi Eze was ruled out of England’s squad with the calf injury that had already sidelined him from the Wembley final.

Captain’s concerns and Ferguson comparisons

Martin Ødegaard, who had been hopeful of returning against City after a persistent knee issue, also withdrew from Norway’s squad. The captain’s absence was particularly notable given his previous ankle ligament injury sustained on international duty that kept him out for a large portion of last season.

Arteta’s protective approach has drawn comparisons to Sir Alex Ferguson, who famously called internationals “a waste of time” and limited his players to no more than 45 minutes when they did feature for their countries.

The manager’s worst fears materialised when Noni Madueke and Piero Hincapié both suffered injuries during their respective international friendlies. According to The Guardian, Madueke left Wembley in a knee brace while Hincapié sustained a suspected muscle injury representing Ecuador.

Workload concerns and squad depth tested

Thomas Tuchel defended Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice’s absences from England duty, insisting both had genuine issues and “wanted desperately to play to get the narrative straight.” Both players have endured extraordinary workloads for club and country over the past three seasons.

Martín Zubimendi became the eleventh player to withdraw, citing pain in his left knee. The Spain midfielder has played more Premier League minutes than any other Arsenal player this season, narrowly ahead of Rice and Timber.

Not all Arsenal internationals struggled, however. Viktor Gyökeres delivered a hat-trick for Sweden against Ukraine before scoring a dramatic late winner against Poland to secure World Cup qualification, providing a confidence boost ahead of the season’s crucial final stretch.

With Arsenal having already played 50 matches this marathon campaign and potentially 15 more remaining if they reach the FA Cup and Champions League finals, Arteta faces a delicate balancing act managing his squad through the decisive weeks ahead.