Arsenal have been dealt a significant blow ahead of their Champions League quarter-final second leg clash with Sporting CP.
The Gunners have a one-goal lead heading into the second leg after beating Rui Borges’ side 1-0 at the Jose Alvalade Stadium last week.
After a cagey 90 minutes in Lisbon, Kai Havertz neatly slotted beyond Rui Silva in stoppage time to send the Arsenal away end into raptures.
Mikel Arteta’s outfit are now in a strong position to progress into the semi-final stage for the second consecutive season, although they will have to pick themselves up psychologically after suffering a damaging defeat at home to Bournemouth on Saturday.
The Spaniard’s task of overcoming Sporting may also just have become significantly more difficult due to a number of potential absences.
Arsenal’s training session on Tuesday morning was open to the media, and none of Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Jurrien Timber or Declan Rice were spotted on the grass at London Colney.
No sign of Saka, Odegaard, Timber or Rice here this morning. pic.twitter.com/NmazlLS2Ii
— Harry Symeou (@HarrySymeou) April 14, 2026
If Mikel Arteta is indeed without all four players, he’ll have to configure something of a makeshift line-up for the Sporting encounter.
Four Arsenal stars absent from training before Sporting CP clash
Arsenal have had to endure another injury-plagued season this term. Once again, almost every single member of Arteta’s squad has spent at least some time on the sidelines, and it doesn’t appear the fitness status of the divisive manager’s ensemble is going to improve during the run-in.
Saka has been absent since the Carabao Cup final before the international break, and the nature of his injury is yet to be properly disclosed. It doesn’t seem as though the Gunners’ talisman is close to making his return.
Meanwhile, Odegaard has been in and out of the side all season. The Norwegian playmaker has suffered four separate injuries, and his latest setback may just be the final straw for his individual season.
Like Saka, Timber has also been out since before the international break. His replacement, Ben White, has struggled in recent matches, and Arsenal are in dire need of the Dutchman’s return.
Rice will be the most concerning absence from training for Gunners supporters. The rambunctious midfielder has played the full 90 minutes in each of Arsenal’s last two matches, after returning from a brief spell out, and this may now have caught up with him.
Arteta’s press conference on Tuesday afternoon should provide more clarity around who is genuinely injured and who is being protected.
