Arsenal Round-Up, Thursday 1st October: Odegaard Injury Boost Overshadowed by Fresh Tzolis Fitness Scare
There's been plenty of injury news on international duty today. Martin Odegaard has been given the all clear to feature for Norway against Wales this evening, with the captain named in the squad despite picking up an ankle issue after a late challenge from Bernardo Silva in Norway's defeat to Portugal (Evening Standard) (Football.London). Odegaard reportedly reacted angrily to the incident, and the challenge has since caused a stir, with a Liverpool hero among those commenting on it (Football.London). Elsewhere, Evening Standard and Football.London have published wider fitness round-ups on the likes of Odegaard, Ezri Konsa, Kai Havertz, Saliba, Rice and Hincapie as Arsenal prepare for their return to Premier League action against Leeds United on 10 October (Evening Standard) (Football.London).
Not all the international news was positive, though. Christos Tzolis gave Arteta a fresh injury worry after being substituted just 18 minutes into Greece's game against the Netherlands (Football.London). Spain boss Luis de la Fuente played down fears over Martin Zubimendi after he was withdrawn during Spain's win over Croatia, though the midfielder has had limited game time for Arsenal so far this season (Evening Standard). On a brighter note, Football.London report that Viktor Gyokeres has been in fine form for Sweden, scoring twice in two games during the break, and has reportedly made clear to Arteta what he wants at the club (Football.London). Football.London also note that Gabriel Magalhaes and Bruno Guimaraes are away with Brazil ahead of an unusual friendly against India in Kolkata this weekend (Football.London).
On the transfer front, TeamTalk report that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is keen on Como's Nico Paz, which could complicate any interest Arsenal and sporting director Andrea Berta might have in the Argentine (TeamTalk). The same outlet also claims Arsenal could face paying a "premium" for Fulham striker Gonzalo Garcia, with Aston Villa also said to be monitoring the 22-year-old (TeamTalk). Meanwhile, the Mirror and Football.London report that Arsenal are tracking a £40m-rated Brazilian midfielder, with Vinicius Jr said to have praised a team-mate amid the speculation (Mirror) (Football.London). Football.London also report that Bournemouth have sent a clear message to both Arsenal and Chelsea regarding two of their players (Football.London), while there's said to be a "contract clause" development involving Cesc Fabregas and a possible reunion with one of his former clubs (Football.London). Football.London additionally suggest Arsenal could risk losing out financially if Berta fails to address a reported £353m issue (Football.London). Evening Standard's transfer live blog also links Arsenal with Lyon's Rayan Cherki and mentions contact over Erling Haaland, among other stories involving rival clubs (Evening Standard).
In the women's game, Arsenal came away from France with a 2-2 draw against Paris FC in the Women's Champions League (Arsenal.com). BBC Sport looked at a bizarre handball incident involving Leah Williamson during that match, explaining why the resulting penalty was the correct decision (BBC Sport).
Finally, Arsenal.com have been looking back at the club's history, with features on Arsène Wenger's best moments, every player he selected, and the inside story of his arrival back in 1996 (Arsenal.com) (Arsenal.com) (Arsenal.com). There's also practical information for fans regarding disabled supporters' tickets for the upcoming trip to Fleetwood Town (Arsenal.com).
This round-up is written with the help of AI, using only the day's headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.