Mikel Arteta battling potential injury crisis as Arsenal prepare for crucial fixtures

The Gunners, still reeling from their Carabao Cup final defeat, now face a critical sequence of matches, beginning with an FA Cup clash against Southampton on Saturday.

That is followed by a Champions League quarter-final first leg against Sporting CP on April 7, before a return to Premier League action against Bournemouth on April 11.

Several key players have already returned early from international duty, including Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke, Piero Hincapie and Martin Zubimendi.

Rice pulled out before England's 1-1 draw with Japan after reporting he felt "shattered", returning to Arsenal for medical assessment having initially linked up late with the national side.

Saka also withdrew from England duty over the weekend in what is understood to be a precautionary move. With Thomas Tuchel keen to manage workloads, the winger could now be rested against Southampton to preserve his fitness for the more demanding fixtures ahead.

However, the situation is more concerning elsewhere. Gabriel has been ruled out of Brazil's friendlies after tests confirmed right knee pain, while William Saliba withdrew from the France squad following an unspecified injury after completing 90 minutes in the cup final.

Madueke's issue appears particularly worrying, having suffered a left knee injury during England's friendly against Uruguay after a challenge described by Tuchel as "on the edge". The winger was substituted before half-time and later seen limping with a brace.

Further doubts surround Eberechi Eze, Leandro Trossard, Jurrien Timber and Martin Odegaard, all dealing with fitness issues. 

READ MORE: Injured Harry Kane likely to miss Bayern's weekend match at Freiburg