Odegaard, Havertz and Timber miss Arsenal Fc training before Atletico

Arsenal fc went into their Champions League semi-final second leg against Atletico Madrid without Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber in open training. The three absences leave Mikel Arteta with three major fitness questions before a tie that is level at 1-1 after last week’s first leg.

Arteta Faces Emirates Briefing

Arteta is due to face the media at the Emirates this evening, after saying before and after Saturday’s win against Fulham that Odegaard and Havertz were trying to push hard to be involved. That makes the training session more than a routine workout: it was the last public sign before his briefing of who was and was not on the field.

Odegaard’s issue is the knee problem that flared up when he was forced off after an hour in Madrid. Havertz was taken out of Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Newcastle by a muscular problem, and he too stayed away from the open session.

Timber’s Longer Absence

Timber’s situation has been more drawn out. He has been sidelined with an ankle injury and has not featured since the League Cup final on 22 March. Arteta said last week that the defender was “doing some stuff on the pitch at the moment, but we need to get the gears up and be able to do more things before he can compete with us.”

The absence of all three players matters because Arsenal are trying to manage a thin margin in a semi-final that is still alive after the 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid. With Odegaard, Havertz and Timber all missing the same open session, the squad picture remained unsettled rather than clarified.

Mikel Merino Watch

Mikel Merino is also recovering after surgery on a fractured foot sustained in January, adding another layer to Arsenal’s fitness work in the closing month of the season. For Arteta, the immediate task is simple: get as many options available as possible before Atletico arrive for the second leg.