Mikel Arteta has had the international break to reflect on Arsenal’s heavy defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion, but the pause has not simplified his plans for the Premier League return. Leeds United visit Emirates Stadium on Saturday, and the champions are expected to make several changes because of fitness concerns across the squad.

The most significant absentee remains William Saliba, who is out for the long term with a back problem. Arsenal also lost Ben White to a groin issue during the win at Sunderland, though the right back is now expected to return after being seen in training images last week. Declan Rice, meanwhile, has been managed carefully after a demanding summer and recurring hamstring discomfort, and he should also be available for Leeds.

There is better news in defence through Cristhian Mosquera, who has recovered from the hamstring injury he suffered in August and could come back into the side. If Ezri Konsa is not ready after his dead leg, Mosquera may be the natural option to line up alongside Gabriel. Jurriën Timber is another factor at right back, although his minutes are being monitored after summer groin surgery.

Arsenal’s attack has taken the sharper hit. Kai Havertz and Christos Tzolis both picked up hamstring injuries while away with Germany and Greece, and both are expected to miss the next couple of weeks. That leaves Arteta with limited routes through the middle and on the left, where Eberechi Eze has not yet made a major impact. Noni Madueke could also be used there, while Viktor Gyökeres is the likeliest candidate to replace Havertz up front after scoring four in four for Sweden during the break.

Max Dowman is available despite a contact injury and a red card for England’s U-19s, while Bukayo Saka came through the break unscathed. With Rice and White expected back, Arteta can at least restore some structure, but the forward line remains the main concern heading into a difficult fixture.

Arsenal have handed Mikel Arteta a fresh contract through 2030, and reports suggest the new agreement has taken his salary to twice its previous level. That rise is believed to make him the best-paid manager in the Premier League.

Arteta explained what the club means to him after committing his future.

“This club is unique, its character and the way it makes you feel, and I have a great sense of privilege that our journey together will continue. We have already built a special bond and created memories that will last a lifetime, and what is so exciting is that this is only the beginning of what we can achieve together.”

According to The Times, he is now thought to earn more than £20 million ($26.4 million) each season across a deal that runs for the next four years. With Pep Guardiola no longer the Premier League’s highest earner, Arteta is understood to occupy a category of his own in the domestic game.

His earnings are also said to place him above some of the biggest names in world football. Only Atlético Madrid’s Diego Simeone and Paris Saint-Germain’s back-to-back Champions League winner Luis Enrique are mentioned as approaching those levels.

The second-highest paid manager in the Premier League is reported to be on the opposite side of north London. Tottenham Hotspur’s Roberto De Zerbi is said to earn £12 million ($15.9 million) per year, according to ESPN.

De Zerbi arrived at a difficult moment for Spurs last spring, with the club in serious trouble and fighting to avoid relegation. Since then, his influence has extended beyond the dugout, with the transfer window suggesting he has a major say in spending decisions as well as his own financial package.

For Arsenal, though, the message is clear. Arteta has been rewarded not only with security until 2030, but with a salary that now stands above every other manager in the Premier League.

Arsenal head into the September-October international break with their defensive picture still unsettled, even if there has been some welcome movement in training. The week has brought both encouragement and concern, with Ezri Konsa’s withdrawal from the England squad standing out as the main worry.

There is better news on Ben White, Piero Hincapié and Cristhian Mosquera, all of whom are back on the training pitch. White and Mosquera were unavailable for Arsenal’s 3–0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion before club football paused, while Hincapié was named among the substitutes for that match and then did not report for Ecuador duty.

Konsa’s situation is more troubling. According to England manager Thomas Tuchel, the defender had been carrying discomfort in recent weeks, which suggests his involvement for the Three Lions was always a risk. He played 90 minutes against Spain, missed the win over Czechia, and then completed another full match in the victory over Croatia.

“Ezri came into camp with discomfort. [He] played against Spain which made it worse. He stayed in camp and tried everything for the match in Croatia and gave the green light,” Tuchel explained, which is sure to annoy Arsenal fans.

“Unfortunately, he got another hit on the quad and it caused some light trauma. We decided to not let him play through the pain again. Nothing major but not worth taking the risk.”

That leaves a question mark over Konsa’s availability for Saturday’s Premier League meeting with Leeds United. He was brought in late in the summer window and has already been used next to Gabriel because William Saliba is sidelined with a back injury. Saliba is not expected back until November at the earliest, so Mosquera may be the next option to step in, even if his match fitness is uncertain.

White and Hincapié are natural centre backs who have been adapted since joining the club, though White could still be required at right back. Jurrien Timber started against Brighton and played for an hour before being replaced by Martín Zubimendi, who has become a familiar defensive option despite being out of favour in midfield. Timber, who has spent an estimated 461 days injured since arriving in the summer of 2023, is aware of the need for caution.

“I have to be very smart about the steps we take. Otherwise, I’ll suffer a setback, and I don’t want that,” Timber told reporters this week.