Arsenal injury update: William Saliba, Mikel Merino and Kai Havertz latest news and return dates

Arsenal injury update: William Saliba, Mikel Merino and Kai Havertz latest news and return dates

Gunners dealt big blow in midweek as star man ruled out

Sidelined: Kai Havertz, William Saliba and Mikel Merino

Your matchday briefing on Arsenal, featuring team news and expert analysis from Matt Verri

Arsenal take on Wigan in the FA Cup on Sunday, and they will be sweating over the fitness of a key player.

The Gunners have been hit by some fresh injuries in recent weeks but Mikel Arteta was able to welcome some big names back into the fold in the 1-1 draw at Brentford, with Leandro Trossard, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard all featuring at the Gtech Community Stadium.

There has also been a positive update this week on Max Dowman.

Arsenal have some big games on the horizon, with the north London derby at Tottenham on February 22 and then a home game against Chelsea on March 1.

With that in mind, here’s the latest Arsenal injury news and potential return dates...

William Saliba

Star defender Saliba missed out on the trip to Brentford with illness in midweek.

He was replaced at the heart of defence by Cristhian Mosquera, who put in a superb performance.

Saliba, the France international, trained on Wednesday but was ruled not ready to play in west London on Thursday.

It remains to be seen whether he will return to action against Wigan in the FA Cup this weekend.

Potential return date: Sunday February 15, vs Wigan (H)

Kai Havertz

Havertz returned to form almost immediately after a long hiatus with a knee problem.

The German had been out since the opening day of the season, the 1-0 win over Manchester United, but he has been dealt a further setback after suffering a muscular injury.

The forward will definitely miss the trip to Brentford on Thursday, and looks set to be sidelined for another extended period.

Arsenal must fix key problem if they are to realise title ambitions

Arsenal must fix key problem if they are to realise title ambitions

Arsenal XI vs Wigan: Confirmed team news and predicted lineup

Arsenal XI vs Wigan: Confirmed team news and predicted lineup

He is likely to sit out the north London derby, as well as the FA Cup tie against Wigan and the Premier League clash with Wolves.

Potential return date: Sunday March 1, vs Chelsea (H)

Mikel Merino

Arsenal confirmed last week that Mikel Merino would undergo surgery on a foot injury and would be sidelined “for an extended period, with the aim of returning to full training before the end of the season”.

An update was provided by Merino’s father Miguel, who told Spanish radio station Cadena Ser: “Despite the problem, he’s accepting the situation.

Mikel Merino is targeting a return to action before the end of the season

“There’s uncertainty because the recovery time isn’t well understood as there’s no history of this type of injury.

“It’s a stress fracture. It’s not an injury to the toes, it’s a bit more internal.

“It’s an injury that isn’t very well documented. There are many doubts regarding his recovery.”

Merino underwent surgery this week and Arteta issued a further update ahead of the Brentford game when he said: "Doctors were really happy.

“Starting a long process, you're talking about bone healing. You need to be patient and respect the timeframe.

“We're talking about months - three, four or five we don't know."

Potential return date: Unknown

Max Dowman

Arsenal have been boosted after Arteta confirmed Dowman is closing in on a comeback.

Dowman has been out for two months with an ankle injury but the 16-year-old is on course to return soon.

Issuing a new update on Dowman, Arteta said before the Brentford game: “He's doing really well, about a week away.”

Potential return date: Sunday February 22, vs Tottenham (A)