Gabriel Martinelli and Piero Hincapié expected to miss Arsenal’s next match

This season, Arsenal have been dealing with serious injury problems in both defence and attack. Earlier this month, there were moments when the team had only one available centre-back and had to use Nørgaard in that position. While some players are now returning, the club are still without several key names.

After the match against Crystal Palace, Arsenal added Gabriel Martinelli and centre-back Piero Hincapié to their injury list. Manager Mikel Arteta said about Martinelli: “Martinelli is more of a knock and he wasn’t comfortable to carry on after the second half.”

On Hincapié, Arteta added: “With Piero, yeah, something different because he picked up an injury against Everton.” However, Arteta still has options to replace them. On the left wing, both Eze and Madueke can step in for Martinelli, while Timber, Calafiori and Nørgaard are available to cover at centre-back.

As for other players, Kai Havertz was spotted back on the training ground yesterday, but Arteta is unlikely to risk using him. Gabriel Magalhães and Cristhian Mosquera remain sidelined and are expected to miss several months. Max Downman also picked up an injury last week and was forced off the pitch, with the manager confirming he “is going to be out for weeks”.

Arteta also provided an update on Ben White: “Yeah, he’s out. He’s evolving well, it’s not a major injury, but it will keep him out for a few games, I think. I don’t think it’s going to be a major one, and Ben is a really fast healer as well, so there’s hope that we’re going to have him back in the next few games.”

Arsenal will take on Brighton on December 27, traditionally the Boxing Day round in the Premier League. After that, Arteta’s side will face Aston Villa in their final match of 2025, before meeting Bournemouth (4 January) and Liverpool (9 January), ahead of their FA Cup and Carabao Cup fixtures. Arsenal remain top of the Premier League table with 39 points, but with Man City just two points behind, a single defeat could significantly impact the title race.