Arteta Provides Update on Saka and Odegaard as Arsenal Eye Spurs Return Date

Arsenal's injury concerns are easing slightly after Mikel Arteta confirmed the status of two key players ahead of the club's mounting fixture list.

Saka and Odegaard both sat out Tuesday's Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Chelsea, which the Gunners won to secure a place in the final. They will face either Manchester City or Newcastle United for the trophy.

The north London side have shown remarkable resilience this season, bouncing back from a painful 3-2 defeat to Manchester United with a convincing 4-0 demolition of Leeds United before dispatching Chelsea. Arsenal remain in the hunt across all four competitions—the Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League, and now the Carabao Cup.

The Injury Situation

Odegaard featured as a substitute during Saturday's Leeds victory but felt discomfort during the match. Speaking before the Chelsea tie, Arteta explained the midfielder's predicament: "He picked up a niggle during the Leeds game. We tried yesterday but he wasn't comfortable. So we'll assess him for the weekend."

Saka's case proved more straightforward in terms of diagnosis but less so regarding recovery. The winger suffered an injury during the warm-up ahead of the Chelsea clash, forcing his absence. Arteta remained cautiously optimistic: "He's doing alright. We'll need to run some tests tomorrow to determine his condition. This particular fixture came too early for him."

Return Date on the Horizon

Reports suggest Saka is targeting a comeback for the north London derby at Tottenham on February 22, providing the rehabilitation progresses as hoped. Should this timeline hold, he will miss three further matches: the home Premier League encounter with Sunderland, the away trip to Brentford in the league, and the FA Cup tie against Wigan Athletic at home.

The injury itself is not considered serious, and the England international is keen to accelerate his return. There remains scope for him to feature before the Spurs clash if his recovery accelerates beyond schedule.

Squad Strength

Arsenal's enhanced depth—built through shrewd recruitment over recent seasons—has proven invaluable as injuries have cropped up throughout the campaign. With Manchester City and Liverpool both experiencing dips in form, Arteta's side are well-positioned to capitalise on their rivals' struggles.

After the Chelsea victory, Arteta reflected on the mental boost the win provided: "We're one step away now. These moments are the finest tonic we can inject into ourselves given the relentless schedule. The work we've put in to reach these stages, and to experience them together, is simply special. You can see the satisfaction, the smiles, the buzz flowing through everything we do here. We're genuinely excited about what's ahead."