The UEFA Champions League is here! The 2025-26 campaign kicks off in midweek, and Arsenal will get things started with a trip to Athletic Club. They’ll have six injury concerns for this clash, three of which could see a status change by kickoff time: Martin Odegaard, William Saliba and Christian Norgaard. The other three: Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus, remain sidelined; no change in status there.
So let’s just get you up to speed now on Odegaard, Saliba and Norgaard.
UEFA Champions League Matchday 1 of 8
Arsenal FC at Athletic Club
Kickoff: Tue. Sept 16, 5:45pm, San Mames, Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain
Arsenal Preview Material: Team News Starting Lineup Prediction
Arsenal Schedule Analysis: UCL Draw Sept/Oct Fixtures
Arsenal Team News
Yesterday saw Odegaard withdraw due to a shoulder injury, for the second time in the past three games. We’re awaiting updates on this, but for now we’ll just place him in the “doubt” category. Shifting gears to his fellow Scandinavian, Christian Norgaard has yet to make his competitive debut for Arsenal.
His issue is just a knock though, so he should be in contention here. And then finally, with regards to Saliba, he was not risked in the 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest yesterday, but he was back in training on Friday. He has an ankle problem, but it’s not serious.
He should be in the matchday squad here.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter