Arsenal injury, suspension news and return dates for Atalanta BC: Odegaard, Saka

Arsenal return to action on Thursday evening when they commence their Champions League campaign with a showdown against the 2023-24 Europa League winners Atalanta BC.

The Gunners started a difficult three-game stretch in the space of a week by edging out Tottenham Hotspur in Sunday's North London derby.

However, while Mikel Arteta will be able to welcome back Declan Rice, who was suspended for that game, the Spaniard has more injury concerns ahead of the trip to Italy.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up all of Arsenal's latest injury and suspension news ahead of their clash with Atalanta, who have endured a mixed start in this season's Serie A.

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Martin Odegaard

© Imago

Status: Major doubt
Type of injury: Ankle
Possible return date: September 19 (vs. Atalanta)

Victim of a nasty ankle sprain during Norway's UEFA Nations League showdown with Austria, captain Martin Odegaard is expected to spend three weeks minimum on the sidelines, but Arteta curiously did not rule him out of this weekend's derby. Odegaard, as anticipated, did miss that game, and that is expected to remain the case here.

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Riccardo Calafiori

© Imago

Status: Minor doubt
Type of injury: Calf
Possible return date: September 19 (vs. Atalanta)

Arsenal's second casualty of the international break, Riccardo Calafiori sustained a bizarre calf injury when France's Ousmane Dembele unintentionally whacked him after being tackled himself. The ex-Bologna man withdrew from the Azzurri squad a day later, but that was thought to have been more precautionary than anything else. Despite missing the North London derby, he could return here.

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Mikel Merino

© Imago

Status: Out
Type of injury: Shoulder
Possible return date: Unknown

Speaking of freak injuries, Mikel Merino fractured his shoulder in his first Arsenal training session after feeling the full force of Gabriel Magalhaes landing on him, and it will be a few weeks before he is considered for a debut.

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Bukayo Saka

© Imago

Status: Major doubt
Type of injury: Unknown
Possible return date: September 19 (vs. Atalanta)

Bukayo Saka became the latest Arsenal casualty when needing to be withdrawn during the back end of the North London derby. Details of the injury are yet to be fully disclosed, but the England international is a major doubt to make the trip to Italy.

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Takehiro Tomiyasu

© Imago

Status: Out
Type of injury: Knee
Possible return date: Unknown

The luckless Takehiro Tomiyasu has been in the treatment room with a knee problem since the start of pre-season, and as he is still yet to return to training, there is no timeframe on his return.

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Kieran Tierney

© Imago

Status: Out
Type of injury: Hamstring
Possible return date: Unknown

Likewise, Kieran Tierney - who was expected to leave in the summer - is still recovering from the hamstring problem he picked up at the Euros, and it is not clear when he might be back in action.

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Oleksandr Zinchenko

© Imago

Status: Major doubt
Type of injury: Calf
Possible return date: Unknown

Oleksandr Zinchenko could have deputised in midfield at the weekend, only to return from international duty with Ukraine with a calf injury. As it stands, it is unclear when he may return.

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ARSENAL'S SUSPENSION LIST

Arsenal have no players who are suspended for their first European fixture of the season.

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