All Arsenal players have pulled out of international duty; reasons for their withdrawals and comparisons with rival teams.
As Arsenal leads the Premier League and aims for their first league title since 2004, they are currently facing an injury crisis.
Ten members of Mikel Arteta’s first-team squad have withdrawn from international matches this window due to various injuries, including three players who left Thomas Tuchel’s England squad on Saturday.
It remains uncertain whether these ten will be fit for Arsenal’s FA Cup quarterfinal against Southampton on April 4.
ESPN examines which Arsenal players participated for their national teams this March and how other Premier League clubs compare regarding their numerous withdrawals.
– Zubimendi becomes 10th Arsenal player to withdraw from international duty
Who did play?
Despite the injury setbacks, Arteta’s squad saw several first-team players in action.
Viktor Gyökeres scored an impressive hat trick for Sweden in their World Cup playoff semifinal against Ukraine last week and will spearhead the attack in the final on Tuesday against Poland.
Christian Nørgaard and Ben White also found the net for Denmark and England in their respective matches, while Riccardo Calafiori played the full 90 minutes in Italy’s playoff semifinal victory over Northern Ireland.
Kai Havertz started for Germany in a 4-3 win against Switzerland, and Cristhian Mosquera made his debut for Spain in a friendly against Serbia.
Absent from the senior squad, Myles Lewis-Skelly represented England’s Under-21 team in a draw against Andorra, with young talent Max Dowman participating for the U19 side.
Before withdrawing from their respective squads, Martín Zubimendi played 13 minutes for Spain, and Piero Hincapié was on the field for 72 minutes for Ecuador against Morocco.
Arsenal’s mass international exodus
Leading the Premier League and topping the list for international withdrawals is Arsenal.
Gabriel Magalhães: “After the game… [Gabriel] complained of pain in his right knee,” Brazil reported.
William Saliba: The other half of Arsenal’s defensive pairing withdrew from the France squad due to a “left ankle injury.”
Jurriën Timber: Timber missed the Carabao Cup final due to injury, and the Netherlands determined that the defender had not yet sufficiently recovered to be considered for selection.
Eberechi Eze: Another player absent from the Carabao Cup final, Eze may be sidelined for an extended period due to a “calf injury” and was unable to participate in England’s March friendlies.
Declan Rice: Not involved in England’s first match of the international window against Uruguay, Rice returned to Arsenal for a “medical assessment.”
Bukayo Saka: Similar to Rice, Saka was part of the England squad rested for the Uruguay match and also withdrew for a “medical assessment.”
Noni Madueke: Madueke had to leave the field in the first half of England’s draw with Uruguay, and Tuchel’s comments after the match did not alleviate concerns regarding the severity of the issue.
“I’m worried, of course, because I think he was a difference-maker today. [I’m] very sad and upset and hopefully it’s not a big injury,” Tuchel stated.
Hincapié: After competing against Morocco, Hincapié departed the Ecuador camp following evaluations from “medical and imaging tests,” according to the South American nation.
Leandro Trossard: Belgium announced that Trossard was not fit enough to participate in their March friendlies, despite having played a significant portion of Arsenal’s Carabao Cup final loss to Man City just before the international window.
Zubimendi: The tenth and final withdrawal (so far) was Spain’s Zubimendi. The midfielder participated in the latter stages of their friendly against Serbia but then withdrew from the squad immediately afterward due to “discomfort in his right knee.”
How do other sides compare?
In terms of international withdrawals, Arsenal’s competitors are significantly behind, mirroring their points tally in the Premier League.
So far, Pep Guardiola’s Man City has only one player who has withdrawn: John Stones.
“John Stones is returning to Manchester City for assessment after picking up an issue in training prior to Friday night’s 1-1 draw with Uruguay,” England stated.
Top-four contenders Liverpool have also had just one player return from international duties, with Federico Chiesa back on Merseyside after Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso reported he had some “physical issues,” a recurring theme during his time in England.
Michael Carrick’s Manchester United resurgence continues as they sit six points ahead of Liverpool in third place. With their Champions League aspirations not yet guaranteed, strikers Benjamin Sesko and Bryan Mbeumo remained at the club during the March international window, with Mbeumo’s absence being a “precaution” and Sesko needing to “fully recover from an issue.”
