The second game of Leeds United’s Premier League return takes the club to Arsenal - but five men are doubtful and one more out of Saturday evening’s clash at The Emirates.
Mikel Arteta’s Gunners are strongly fancied to finally get their hands on the Premier League trophy this season and are challenging Liverpool as title favourites.
Arteta’s men faced an opening weekend clash against fierce rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford and weak goalkeeping from Red Devils keeper Altay Bayindir led to Riccardo Calafiori heading home the only goal of the game in the 13th minute.
Arsenal, though, were dealt a possible injury blow in the contest and another setback has presented itself in midweek ahead of the visit of Leeds who themselves have doubts over key men.
Daniel Farke’s Whites began life back in the Premier League with Monday night’s 1-0 victory at home to Everton which also might have come at a cost.
Here, ahead of Farke and Arteta’s press conferences, we run through the early injury news from both camps with one out and five doubts but two more back.
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1. BACK: Jaka Bijol
Starting with the positives. United's new £15m Slovenian international centre-back Bijol was suspended for Monday night's Everton opener as he served a one match ban for his red card in his final game for Udinese in Serie A. The defender is back available for the Arsenal clash and gives Farke a difficult decision to make. | Getty Images
2. BACK: Leandro Trossard
Gunners striker Trossard had been out of late with a groin injury but made the bench for Sunday’s 1-0 win at Manchester United for which he was an unused substitute. His return is particularly big boost if Havertz is out at a time when new signing Gyokeres is still settling. | Arsenal FC via Getty Images
3. OUT: Kai Havertz.
Gunners Striker Havertz returned from three months out with a hamstring injury for the end of the 2024-25 Premier League season and replaced new signing Viktor Gyokeres as a 60th-minute substitute in the weekend’s season opener at Manchester United. Havertz, though, then suffered a knee injury and was missing from the club’s open training session at The Emirates on Wednesday ahead of Saturday evening’s visit of Leeds. Arteta confirmed at Friday’s pre-match press conference that Havertz was definitely out but that the Gunners would have to wait on the extent of the damage. | Arsenal FC via Getty Images
4. OUT: Christian Norgaard
Norgaard, a summer signing from Brentford, was another Arsenal player missing from Wednesday's open training session. Arteta had said over the weekend that the midfielder had “a little issue that the medical staff will address”. Arteta said on Friday that Norgaard was now out of Saturday evening's visit of Leeds. | Arsenal FC via Getty Images
5. OUT: Gabriel Jesus
Another Gunners striker injury and a long term one, Brazilian star Jesus still on the comeback trail from surgery to his anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. | Arsenal FC via Getty Images
6. OUT: Ethan Ampadu
Ampadu suffered a hefty challenge from Everton's Tim Iroegbunam 11 minutes into the second half of Monday night's win at Elland Road and Farke revealed on Thursday that the midfielder had suffered an MCL knee injury. Definitely out until after the international break. | Getty Images