Arsenal and Tottenham will head into the North London derby this weekend with a headache in terms of personnel, with up to 19 players possibly absent due to injury.
The "Gunners" of coach Mikel Arteta will host Spurs under Thomas Frank in a fierce confrontation, after two weeks of international break.
However, despite the fans' expectations, both Arsenal and Tottenham will find it difficult to play with their strongest squad. Many of their key stars are out injured and are at risk of missing the entire match.
Arsenal
Arsenal could enter the North London derby without up to nine key players. Despite their impressive form in the Premier League and leading by 4 points against Manchester City, Arteta's team still faces many challenges.
Center-back Gabriel had to leave the field in the 64th minute of the friendly match between Brazil and Senegal at the Emirates due to a knee injury. This injury could keep the 27-year-old out for at least four weeks, and he is unlikely to return before January.
Meanwhile, Jurrien Timber also had knee problems in the Netherlands - Lithuania match. Despite having to leave the pitch in the 60th minute and being in pain, Timber later reassured fans on social media that the injury was not too serious.
Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard are still recovering from knee injuries, and are unlikely to return for the next match. Viktor Gyokeres was left out of the Swedish squad in the most recent training session due to a hamstring injury, while Riccardo Calafiori also suffered a hip injury.
Gabriel Martinelli continues his recovery from a thigh injury from the Crystal Palace game in late October, and is expected to return in early December. Noni Madueke has also not been able to play due to a knee injury since September.
Tottenham
Tottenham head into the match against Arsenal with 10 players injured. Lucas Bergvall has withdrawn from the Swedish national team due to a prolonged brain injury, leaving the possibility of playing against Arsenal uncertain.
Randal Kolo Muani suffered a broken jaw in a 2-2 draw with Man United before the international break, and is expected to be out of action until at least December. Meanwhile, Dominic Solanke has not played since suffering an ankle injury in August.
James Maddison is expected to be absent until May 2026 due to an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, while Dejan Kulusevski has been undergoing knee injury since May and is expected to return in January next year.
Radu Dragusin is also recovering from an ACL injury and is not expected to play for Spurs until next month. Archie Gray, meanwhile, is likely to miss the Arsenal game due to a minor calf injury.
In addition, Ben Davies, Yves Bissouma and Kota Takai are also unlikely to feature in the North London derby.
The match between Arsenal and Tottenham takes place at 11:30 p.m. on November 23 (Vietnam time).
