Arsenal learn Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz injury expectation ahead of return decisions

EXCLUSIVE: Mikel Arteta is having to contend with some key players being absent through injury ahead of an important run of fixtures, with Arsenal now sat top of the Premier League table

Mikel Arteta has been assured there’s no rush for Arsenal to re-integrate Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz back into the first-team set-up as they look to fully recover from their injury woes.

Injury expert Ben Dinnery, who spoke exclusively with football.london about the two injured Gunners stars, has suggested how Arteta should approach his two key stars being brought back into the fold.

Havertz has not featured for Arsenal since appearing off the bench in their 1-0 win over Manchester United back on the opening day of the season. The German international had surgery to address discomfort in his knee, having not long returned from a lengthy spell on the sidelines following a hamstring tear last season.

Odegaard has not been sidelined as long as his Arsenal team-mate, but has now picked up back-to-back injuries, first in his shoulder and now in his knee.

When asked when we might see either player back in action Dinnery said, via Escapist Magazine: “I think you look at the two individually. Odegaard certainly hasn’t spent collectively as much time on the sidelines as Havertz.

“Havertz is coming back and has had a heavily disrupted 2025 in all honesty after going under the knife for that hamstring surgery. Returning and then suffering from that latest knee setback.

“I think he’s a player that may need to be managed a little bit more carefully. Odegaard himself did have that recurring or persistent problematic shoulder injury which limited his game time in that competitive environment.

“But he was able to do little bits in terms of building that fitness, granted this latest setback is probably going to be in the region of around about six to potentially up to eight weeks with regards to that.

“He would be a player that I would certainly expect to be integrated a little bit quicker than Havertz. But, there’s the caveat to that as always. Influencing factors could always be around injuries and supensions in and around, team fixture schedule.

“Ideally, given how things are going at the moment for Arsenal and their options particularly in that attacking third with Eze, Martinelli, Trossard and so on.

“There are lots of options in there and while things are successful on the pitch, that removes the pressure from Mikel Arteta and the questions around when these players are going to be back.

“That’s because he can afford to manage these players a little bit better and hopefully, take more of a steady integrated approach to being back involved in the first team.”

Both Havertz and Odegaard are expected to return to first-team action following the November international break ahead of a crucial run of fixtures that could decide Arsenal’s season.

The Gunners are set to face arch rivals Spurs in the north London derby in their first game back in domestic action, followed by a Champions League clash with Bayern Munich and then a trip across London to Stamford Bridge where they’ll face fellow title hopefuls Chelsea.