Mikel Arteta provides fitness updates on Arsenal players ahead of Premier League trip to Molineux
Arsenal head to Molineux on Wednesday night to face Wolves in a Premier League clash that sees the bottom side host the table-toppers, with Gunners manager Mikel Arteta facing a few fitness concerns ahead of the game.
Amid a busy run of fixtures, Arsenal will need to manage their squad carefully as they aim to get back to winning ways in the league.
The visit to Wolverhampton comes after Arsenal’s 4-0 FA Cup win over Wigan Athletic, where the manager was able to rotate his side and give players a rest. While the team has been largely consistent this season, a handful of players are dealing with knocks or returning from illness, meaning Arteta may have to make some last-minute adjustments.
During his pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Arteta outlined the latest updates on his squad, confirming some absences and providing a timeline for returning players.
Arsenal injury news and player updates
Martin Ødegaard is the most significant absentee for Arsenal against Wolves. The midfielder will miss the trip to Molineux but is expected to be available for the North London Derby at Tottenham on Sunday.
“For Wolves, he is not going to be fit, but for Sunday we are hopeful,” Arteta said of his captain.
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Kai Havertz is also unavailable for the midweek game, though Arteta added there is a possibility he could return in time for the weekend clash. “Kai, for the weekend, is a possibility,” he explained.
Ben White experienced some fatigue following the midweek match but has trained since and is expected to be fit.
“It was just a bit of fatigue. He did a lot in the game and was feeling a bit of tightness. He was training with us today, he’s feeling better, and hopefully he’s fit tomorrow,” Arteta said.
Riccardo Calafiori, who withdrew from the warm-up before the FA Cup victory over Wigan, trained with the squad and is expected to be available for selection.
“He’s fine. He trained with us today. Hopefully he’s fit for tomorrow,” Arteta confirmed.
Meanwhile, Mikel Merino remains sidelined after undergoing surgery on a broken foot and is still in the treatment phase. Arteta stressed the midfielder is involved with team meetings and will rejoin the squad later in the season.
Arsenal will look to overcome these absences while maintaining their strong form as they travel to Wolves. With key players returning in the weekend North London Derby against Tottenham, Arteta’s focus will be on balancing the squad to compete on all fronts.
