Arsenal
Arteta Provides Cautious Timeline as Ødegaard and Others Face Recovery Periods
Arteta says Ødegaard will miss weeks; club outlines recovery timelines and updates on other injuries
Arsenal confirmed that captain Martin Ødegaard has damaged the medial collateral ligament in his knee and will be unavailable for the short term, with the manager offering a cautious timetable. Reports during the international break suggested Ødegaard would not appear again for Arsenal until at least the second half of November. Arteta declined to give a precise return date but acknowledged the captain’s progress. “He will be weeks, no definite date for his return, but he’s evolving well,” the manager said. “It’s very unlucky what’s happening with him and his injuries this season, but I think he will be back in a few weeks.”
When asked if the absence might stretch into November’s international break, Arteta replied: “It could be,” and added, “we will have to see how he is progressing, how his knee is feeling, how he manages the next steps in his rehab, it’s too early to get an answer.”
There were separate concerns after Martín Zubimendi sat out a training session following a blow to the chin seconds into his Premier League debut against Manchester United. The summer recruit has become a regular at the base of midfield and his omission prompted questions, but Arteta moved to calm those fears. “All the players come from different countries, different amount of games and minutes played,” he explained. “We believe it was the right thing to do. His [Zubimendi’s] load has been really high, but he will be available.”
Ben White was also absent from a session without international travel as a factor. On that, Arteta said: “We are monitoring all the players, we give a specific menu to each of them.”
Noni Madueke has not featured since damaging his knee in the first half of a 1–1 draw with Manchester City in mid-September. Arteta reported the winger is “getting closer” but tempered expectations: “He’s going to start very soon to do some running.” The manager added that Piero Hincapié, limited to one cameo since his move from Bayer Leverkusen because of a groin issue, is back in training. “He is training again with us,” Arteta confirmed. “If everything is right, he will be available as well. We really want that, he is going to bring something different to the team, we need to get him going, get him up to speed to get him up to the level.”
Kai Havertz suffered a knee problem after the Premier League opener. Arteta had been optimistic about an earlier recovery with hopes of a late November return, but on Friday struck a less enthusiastic tone.
Arsenal
Arsenal v Crystal Palace: Match Preview, Team News and Likely XIs
Arsenal host Crystal Palace at the Emirates: team news, injury updates and predicted lineups. Sunday
Arsenal return to Premier League action on Sunday when Crystal Palace visit the Emirates. The Gunners arrive off a 4–0 victory over Atlético Madrid on Tuesday, their sixth successive win and a continuation of a perfect start in the Champions League. Arsenal sit top of the table and boast the league’s stoutest defence, but Manchester City could move to within a point before the weekend fixtures kick off.
Crystal Palace come into the game on the back of cup success and a long unbeaten run that peaked at 18 matches. Palace have since lifted the FA Cup and the Community Shield, but they are now winless in three across all competitions after a home defeat to AEK Larnaca in the Conference League on Thursday.
Team news is significant for the hosts. Arteta confirmed on Friday that the defender hasn’t been able to train since picking up an injury against Atléti. If Gabriel is not risked, Cristhian Mosquera is ready to step in and partner William Saliba. Piero Hincapié may also be considered, though he has appeared just once since joining on deadline day. Riccardo Calafiori and Leandro Trossard are likely to be recalled, while Eberechi Eze should retain his place. Noni Madueke, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus and Martin Ødegaard remain out.
Palace face a quick turnaround after Thursday and will rotate accordingly. Chris Richards and Adam Wharton are certainties to return, with Wharton having only come off the bench on Thursday. Eddie Nketiah could start against his former club, potentially alongside Jean-Philippe Mateta, with Yeremy Pino the most likely to make way. Injured pair Cheick Doucouré and Chadi Riad have yet to feature this season.
Arsenal predicted lineup vs. Crystal Palace (4-3-3): Raya; Timber, Saliba, Mosquera, Calafiori; Zubimendi, Rice, Eze; Saka, Gyökeres, Trossard.
Crystal Palace predicted lineup vs. Arsenal (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Guéhi; Muñoz, Hughes, Wharton, Mitchell; Sarr, Nketiah; Mateta.
Broadcast details: United States (Peacock, Amazon Prime Video); United Kingdom (Sky Go UK, NOW, SKY GO Extra, Sky Sports Premier League); Canada (DAZN Canada, fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video); Mexico (Caliente TV, Amazon Prime Video).
Arsenal
Jesus commits to Arsenal until 2027 while admitting future interest in La Liga and Serie A
Jesus says he is staying at Arsenal until at least 2027 and is open to trying La Liga or Serie A…
Gabriel Jesus has moved to silence immediate transfer talk while acknowledging a long-term curiosity about other leagues. The striker rejected the idea of an imminent exit but accepted that a future move could be possible because he enjoys watching and learning from different styles of football.
Competition for minutes at Arsenal is intense. Viktor Gyökeres is all but guaranteed a starting berth upfront, while the wide positions are crowded under Arteta. Bukayo Saka must fend off Noni Madueke plus the promising Ethan Nwaneri and Max Dowman. Eberechi Eze is not guaranteed a starting spot on the left wing even after his £67.5 million move this summer, with Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard also in form. The return of Kai Havertz adds another layer of uncertainty about where Jesus will fit into the side.
That uncertainty has generated speculation about a January switch to aid his hopes of securing a place in the squad for this summer’s World Cup, and there have been reports linking him to Palmeiras as well as to Everton and West Ham United. Jesus pushed back on those reports.
“There’s never been any contact with anyone at the club or my staff,” Jesus declared to PLACAR . “Every day, the coach and the board say they’re eager for my return. I don’t see myself outside the club’s plans. I have a contract until 2027, and if there’s no renewal by then, I’ll be at the club at least until 2027.”
He also addressed his mindset after injury and the arrival of reinforcements. “I was in a great moment when I got injured,” he sighed. “Obviously, the club couldn’t be at the mercy of a single player and would go after someone in my position, but that doesn’t affect my desire to win and win titles with Arsenal. On the contrary, my main focus is to return and return well.”
On future destinations, Jesus was candid about his attraction to other competitions. “I watch a lot of La Liga and Serie A matches, and I think they’re championships with beautiful football,” Jesus mused. “It certainly makes me want to try things out, but my goal is to win titles with Arsenal.” A return to Brazil remains part of his planning, but for now his focus is on recovery and regaining his place at Arsenal.
Arsenal
Eberechi Eze reveals decision behind Arsenal move
Eberechi Eze says he was ready to join Spurs before Arsenal’s late bid sealed his move in detail…
Eberechi Eze has outlined how a late approach from Arsenal changed the course of his summer. Spurs appeared to be leading negotiations in mid-August after James Maddison suffered a serious knee injury and the accepted departure of Son Heung-min led Tottenham to seek a new creative outlet. Talks were held, personal terms had been accepted and Crystal Palace were reportedly content with a £55 million ($73.2 million) fee on the table.
Speaking during a return to his former secondary school, Eze acknowledged the strength of Tottenham’s position. “I was prepared to go to Tottenham,” Eze admitted, as quoted by The Athletic, “but from the moment Arsenal came, it was always going to be them.”
Those Arsenal discussions were not brand new. Eze had a meeting with Mikel Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta several weeks before Tottenham formalised their interest, informing his boyhood club he was eager to return to the Emirates. The Gunners had been weighing options that included Morgan Gibbs-White and Morgan Rogers before Eze intervened.
On the day he was due to sign for Spurs, the 27-year-old rang Arteta to check whether a move to Arsenal remained possible. When a £67.5 million deal was later completed, the Spanish manager reflected, “That shows you how much he wanted to come,” underlining the forward momentum behind the transfer.
Adjustment to Arsenal has presented challenges. Eze arrived from a Crystal Palace side built to sweep forward on the break and has yet to replicate his previous creative output. Across seven Premier League appearances for Arsenal this season, he has created just two chances from open play, fewer than seven of his teammates.
Crystal Palace travel to the Emirates on Sunday afternoon with a compact shape that is likely to limit the space Eze enjoyed at Selhurst Park, but Arteta remains confident the midfielder can make an impact on what promises to be a “special” occasion.
