Arteta set to give injury update on eight players before Leeds

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Mikel Arteta will face the media on Friday ahead of Arsenal's Premier League clash with Leeds United, and the headline topic for supporters will be team news, with the manager expected to provide clarity on no fewer than eight players following the international break.

Arsenal have welcomed back a trio of defenders who missed recent weeks through injury. Ben White and Cristhian Mosquera have returned to training having both been nursing hamstring problems, with White missing one match and Mosquera sidelined for five. Piero Hincapie, who was an unused substitute in the win at Brighton, was also pictured back involved in training over the break. All three look set to be available for selection against Daniel Farke's side at the Emirates.

Concerns over Havertz and Tzolis

Less clear is the fitness of Kai Havertz and Christos Tzolis. Havertz was forced off in the first half of Germany's Nations League clash with the Netherlands and returned to Arsenal for further assessment. Tzolis lasted just 18 minutes of Greece's 2-2 draw with the Netherlands before going off with a suspected hamstring issue.

Neither player appeared in Arsenal's training pictures released on Thursday, raising doubts over their availability for the weekend. Arteta is expected to shed more light on both situations when he meets the press.

Rice, Konsa and Dowman also sat out training

Declan Rice withdrew from the England squad during the break due to load management and was seen in Dubai while his teammates were on international duty. He was also absent from Thursday's training pictures, though his situation appears to be more about rest than injury.

Ezri Konsa pulled out of the England squad before the game against Czechia after feeling discomfort. England manager Thomas Tuchel explained that Konsa left camp for treatment on two separate issues. “He left camp to get treatment for both of his issues now but I think nothing major but not worth the risk taking,” Tuchel said. “We were happy with the attitude that he showed to stay in camp and be ready for Croatia and have a good match but unfortunately he picked up another one in the match. But from a knock, not a muscle injury or something.”

Teenager Max Dowman also withdrew from England Under-19 duty ahead of the game against Belgium, having already featured for the Young Lions against the Republic of Ireland, Norway and the United States, where he registered a goal and an assist. Dowman was pictured back in training on Thursday alongside White, Mosquera and Hincapie.

Elsewhere, William Saliba continues his recovery from a back injury, with a possible return window pencilled in for November or December.

As reported by football.london, Arteta's press conference is expected to touch on his new contract through to 2030 and Manchester City's guilty verdict on financial rule breaches, but it is the fitness of this group of players that will carry the most weight for supporters ahead of Saturday's kick-off against Leeds.