Arsenal have been rocked by a quadruple defensive injury blow ahead of facing Real Madrid in the Champions League.
After Riccardo Calafiori picked up a problem during the international break, Ben White picked up a knee injury during training on Monday and then Mikel Arteta watched on as Gabriel and then Jurrien Timber were forced off during Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Fulham on Tuesday evening.
With a trip to Everton to come at the weekend, and then a season-defining Champions League quarter-final tie against Real Madrid beginning next week, this quadruple blow could not have come at a worse time.
Arteta will, at least, have been buoyed by the return to fitness of Bukayo Saka, who came off the bench and scored what proved to be the winning goal on his comeback from injury. It was his first minutes of 2025 and appears ready to face the Spanish giants.
With that in mind, here is all the latest Arsenal injury news and return dates...
Gabriel
In what is arguably Mikel Arteta’s worst-case scenario after an injury to Bukayo Saka, Gabriel limped off during the opening stages of the win over Fulham on Tuesday night with a suspected hamstring injury.
The centre-back was sprinting back to defend an early Fulham counter-attack but pulled up and grabbed the back of his leg. After a few minutes of medical treatment on the pitch, it was quickly decided that Gabriel could not continue and he hobbled from the pitch, grimacing.
Asked for an update after the game, Arteta said: “Gabi felt something in his hamstring, we don’t know how big that is.”
The initial assessment does not look good and Gabriel’s chances of facing Real Madrid appear slim. Gunners legend Ian Wright, who was watching the game for Premier League Productions, believes the Brazilian could be sidelined for much of the remainder of the season.
“It is very concerning because for me, the way he’s pulled up, that’s not two weeks,” Wright said. “That’s like six weeks at least, could be out for the season, depending what happens with Arsenal.”
Potential return date: Unknown
Jurrien Timber
It was looking much better for Timber, who had to withdraw from international duty with Netherlands due to illness but was deemed fit enough to start for Arsenal against Fulham.
However, soon after Gabriel was forced off, Timber also went down in the first half after a clash of knees with a Fulham player. The defender was able to continue but again required treatment during the second half and was replaced.
Speaking about Timber and Gabriel, Arteta said after the game: “We don’t know how they are going to be. We will be assessing them tomorrow and understand better how we are with those two.
“If there are two players in this team who never want to come off, it’s those two probably ... [Timber] was already was struggling very early in the game. He managed to continue and at some point he couldn’t. That’s the downside. Jurrien was a knee [injury].”
Potential return date: Unknown
Riccardo Calafiori
Arsenal’s latest significant concern in an injury-plagued season relates to Calafiori, who suffered a knee injury during a nasty slip while playing for Italy in the first leg of their heavyweight Nations League quarter-final tie against Germany in Milan last week.
The versatile defender’s left knee buckled horribly underneath him as he caught his studs in the turf while trying to intercept a pass at the San Siro, receiving treatment before being taken off and then seen limping afterwards.
Calafiori was sent for scans and withdrew from the Azzurri squad ahead of the second leg in Dortmund, returning to Arsenal early for further assessment, and Arteta confirmed the defender is facing “weeks” out.
"Riccardo [Calafiori] unfortunately picked up a knee injury with the national team,” Arteta said.
“It could have been much worse. Hopefully it’s only a matter of weeks."
Potential return date: May 2025
Ben White
Gabriel and Jurrien Timber’s injuries could not have come at a worse time, with Ben White also picking up an injury during training the day before the visit of Fulham.
Mikel Arteta revealed the surprise news ahead of the game, telling reporters of White: “He had a little niggle two days ago. Yesterday we tried, he wasn’t feeling right, so we decided not to put him in the squad today.”
Asked for further details, Arteta added: “It was something on his knee.”
It remains to be seen if White has suffered only a knock but something more serious.
Potential return date: Unknown
Kai Havertz
Arsenal will be without Havertz for the remainder of the season after he needed surgery on a serious hamstring injury suffered last month while blocking a shot in a training session during the club’s warm-weather training camp in Dubai.
He continues to recuperate and fans will hope he is fit enough to return during pre-season.
Potential return date: Summer 2025
Gabriel Jesus
Havertz’s fellow Arsenal forward Jesus had already been ruled out for the season after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in his knee during January’s FA Cup third round defeat at home to Manchester United.
He also needed surgery and will likewise not return until the summer.
Potential return date: Summer 2025
Takehiro Tomiyasu
Tomiyasu has made just one solitary appearance for Arsenal this season, a late six-minute cameo off the bench in the 3-1 home win over Southampton on October 5.
He has otherwise been beset by injury setbacks, undergoing knee surgery in February and also being ruled out for the rest of the campaign.
Arsenal said they expected his recovery and rehabilitation programme to be completed towards the end of the year.
Potential return date: Late 2025
