ARSENAL INJURY UPDATE
Arsenal Name New Captain as Martin Ødegaard’s Deadline-Day Exit Is Confirmed Mikel Arteta breaks silence on shock departure
Arsenal have officially entered a new era. On a dramatic transfer deadline day, Mikel Arteta has confirmed Martin Ødegaard’s departure, bringing an end to the Norwegian’s spell as club captain and playmaker — and immediately announcing a new captain to lead the Gunners forward.
The news sent shockwaves through north London, with Ødegaard long viewed as the heartbeat of Arteta’s project. But speaking this afternoon, the Arsenal manager confirmed that the midfielder has completed a late move away from the Emirates, forcing an instant leadership reshuffle.
Arteta: “The timing is sudden, but the decision is clear”
In his statement, Arteta admitted the situation moved quickly but insisted the club acted decisively.
“Martin has been an exceptional captain and professional. These decisions are never easy, especially on deadline day. But football moves fast, and we are prepared,” Arteta said.
“Leadership is not about one individual. This group is ready to step up.”
New Arsenal captain confirmed
Following Ødegaard’s exit, Arsenal have confirmed a new captain, with Bukayo Saka handed the armband with immediate effect.
Arteta praised Saka’s growth and influence both on and off the pitch:
“Bukayo represents everything this club stands for — commitment, humility, courage and performance. The players respect him, the staff trust him, and the fans believe in him.”
Saka becomes one of the youngest permanent captains in Arsenal’s modern history, marking a bold but symbolic move from the manager.
Dressing room reaction and what it means
Sources close to the club suggest the decision was unanimous within the coaching staff. Senior figures such as Declan Rice and William Saliba are expected to form part of a strong leadership group supporting the new captain.
While Ødegaard’s creativity and calmness will be difficult to replace, Arsenal believe the squad’s spine is now strong enough to absorb the loss without derailing their ambitions.
End of an era — start of another
Ødegaard leaves having captained Arsenal through a title push and a return to Europe’s elite, earning admiration for his professionalism and consistency. His deadline-day departure may sting, but Arsenal have made it clear: the project continues.
With a new captain announced and clarity restored, the Gunners now turn their focus back to the pitch — determined to prove that leadership, like ambition, runs deeper than one name on the team sheet. 🔴⚪
ARSENAL INJURY UPDATE
Mikel Merino will undergo surgery on a stress fracture on his foot today. Although Arsenal has not put a timeline on his recovery, he is expected to be out until the end of the season, but the player hopes to be fit for the World Cup
Mikel Merino provides Arsenal return update after surgery on foot injury: ‘Closer to being back’
Midfielder faces a fight to play again this season
Update: Mikel Merino
Your matchday briefing on Arsenal, featuring team news and expert analysis from Matt
Mikel Merino has undergone surgery on a foot injury as the Arsenal midfielder begins a lengthy recovery process.
The midfielder picked up the issue late in the defeat to Manchester United last month, when he came off the bench and scored.
Merino was sent to see specialists to determine the severity of the problem, and it was discovered that surgery would be required on a bone injury in his right foot.
That procedure took place on Monday, with Merino taking to Instagram to share a picture from his hospital bed.
Merino posted: “Surgery done! Already closer to be back.
“Thank you so much to everyone for your messages and love. It really gives me even more energy to face the challenge. Vamos!”
Declan Rice said in reply: “With you brother.”
Martin Zubimendi, meanwhile, paid tribute to his Spanish team-mate by copying his celebration and pointing to the stands when scoring against Sunderland on Saturday.
Merino’s father recently confirmed that his son had suffered a stress fracture to his foot, an injury that Mikel Arteta has described as “very rare”.
Merino now faces a race to return to action before the end of the season and keep his World Cup hopes alive.
Arsenal hope that Merino will be fit to feature in May in the final weeks of the campaign, in what could be the decisive period for the club’s trophy hopes domestically and in Europe.
Asked if he expected Merino to play again this season, Arteta said: “Well, we hope so.
“I don’t know. Obviously, he needs to go through a procedure, which is never always positive. He’s a big player for us.
“An athlete that has such versatility and capacity to compete in various positions. Yeah, that’s a big blow.
“Let’s see. It’s a very rare injury, so we have to wait and see once we have the surgery. How that reacts daily.”
ARSENAL INJURY UPDATE
Gallery The best training snaps ahead of Sunderland clas Cristhian Mosquera tries to tackle Martin Zubimendi in training
We face Sunderland at Emirates Stadium on Saturday, and you can see what we’ve been up to at the Sobha Realty Training Centre ahead of the contest with our latest training gallery.
We’ll be looking to continue our positive form having won our last three matches across all competitions, including a late 1-0 win over Chelsea in the Carabao Cup semi-finals last time out.
Our most recent Premier League game saw us thrash Leeds United 4-0, a result which extended our lead at the top of the table to six points.
To see how we’ve been preparing for our clash with the Black Cats, flick through our training gallery below, captured by club photographer Stuart MacFarlane:
Read more
FPL Focus: Magical Madueke and January deals
Copyright 2026 The Arsenal Football Club Limited. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source.
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ARSENAL INJURY UPDATE
Here’s the latest confirmed info on the Arsenal vs Manchester City Carabao Cup final (2025-26 EFL/Carabao Cup):
ardiola seeks rule change to make Guehi eligible for League Cup final
Manchester City beat Newcastle to set up League Cup final against Arsenal
Today
Today
📅 Date & Kick-off
The Carabao Cup final between Arsenal and Manchester City is scheduled for Sunday, 22 March 2026 at Wembley Stadium in London, England. �
Wikipedia
Kick-off is expected to be around 4:30 pm GMT (16:30 GMT), although final broadcaster confirmation may adjust this slightly. �
The Standard
🏆 Match Context
Arsenal reached the final by beating Chelsea 4-2 on aggregate in their semi-final. �
Reuters
Manchester City progressed with a 5-1 aggregate win over Newcastle United. �
Sky Sports
📺 How to Watch
In the UK the final is expected to be shown on Sky Sports and free-to-air via ITV/ITVX, with pre-match coverage typically starting about an hour before kick-off. �
The Standard
📰 Team News & Injury Updates
Arsenal
Mikel Merino is a major doubt for the final as he’s expected to be out for an extended period undergoing foot surgery. �
Yahoo Sports UK
Decisions like goalkeeper choice (Kepa Arrizabalaga vs David Raya) may hinge on form later in the season. �
Yahoo Sports UK
Arsenal’s squad situation could evolve through Premier League and European fixtures between now and March.
Manchester City
Key players such as Josko Gvardiol are likely to miss the final due to injury. �
Yahoo Sports UK
Some others – including John Stones, Mateo Kovacic and Savinho – are expected to be available. �
Yahoo Sports UK
Marc Guehi is currently ineligible to play in the final under competition rules after appearing for another club earlier in the tournament; Pep Guardiola has publicly questioned this rule. �
Reuters
⚠️ Note: Team news and injury status will be clearer closer to matchday as clubs confirm their squads, fitness, and starting line-ups.
📌 Summary
Final: Arsenal vs Manchester City (Carabao Cup final)
Date: Sunday 22 March 2026
Kick-off: ~4:30 pm GMT (subject to broadcaster confirmation)
Venue: Wembley Stadium, London �
The Standard +1
If you want the local kickoff time for your time zone (Abuja/Nigeria) or predictions for the starting line-ups once confirmed, just let me know!
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