England release two Arsenal players over injury concerns

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England have confirmed that Ezri Konsa has returned to Arsenal for assessment after picking up an injury, ruling him out of Tuesday's Nations League meeting with Czechia.

The centre-back had been heavily involved during this international window, playing the full 90 minutes in both the 3-2 defeat to Spain at Wembley and Saturday's 7-0 win over Croatia. He was an unused substitute for the victory in Prague last Tuesday.

Details on the nature of the problem have not been made public, with the defender now set to be assessed by Arsenal's medical staff at London Colney.

Dowman also withdrawn

Konsa was not the only Arsenal player released by England. The FA has reported that Max Dowman has withdrawn from the Under-19s squad "due to injury", though the teenager was also shown a straight red card in Friday's 2-1 win over the United States.

Dowman's rapid rise has made him one of the most closely watched young players in the country, so any absence — however brief — will be noted by supporters.

The timing of Konsa's issue is significant given Arsenal's existing situation at centre-back. William Saliba remains sidelined and is not expected back until next month, leaving Mikel Arteta's defensive options stretched heading into the resumption of club football.

A busy interlull for the medical department

This has already been an eventful international break for Arsenal. Kai Havertz and Christos Tzolis both returned to London Colney with hamstring injuries, while Martin Odegaard took a heavy kick to the ankle from Bernardo Silva — an incident the Norwegian was openly unhappy about — but he appears to have come through it without lasting damage.

There is better news elsewhere, however. Football.London reports that Piero Hincapie, Ben White and Cristhian Mosquera are all back in training ahead of this weekend. All three missed out on international selection through injury, so their return to the grass represents a meaningful boost to Arteta's options across the back line.

Hincapie and Mosquera in particular could prove important if Konsa's issue keeps him out for any length of time, with Saliba's November return date still some way off.

Arsenal will hope to have clarity on Konsa's condition in the coming days, with the club's medical team now able to run their own tests rather than rely on second-hand updates from international camps. The extended break has tested Arsenal's squad depth before a ball has even been kicked, and the next 48 hours should reveal just how much of a problem the Gunners are dealing with.