Arsenal Afternoon Round-Up, Monday 5th October 2026: Odegaard and Konsa Injury Scares Dominate the Talk as Leeds Clash Looms
There's a touch of international break fallout to deal with this afternoon. Norway's manager has confirmed that captain Martin Odegaard will not be back in training with Arsenal until later in the week, with a private jet reportedly already booked for his return, according to Football.London (Football.London).
There's also a fitness concern at the back, with Thomas Tuchel giving an update on Ezri Konsa after the defender picked up a problem in England's 7-0 win over Croatia. Konsa has now returned to his club and will miss the Three Lions' Nations League game against Czechia on Tuesday, Football.London reports (Football.London).
On a brighter note, preparations for Saturday's home Premier League game against Leeds United are already under way, with Football.London naming eight Arsenal players who have been training earlier than usual following the international break (Football.London).
Away from the first team, Arsenal.com has put out its nominees for the Emirates September Goal of the Month and is inviting fans to cast their vote (Arsenal.com) (Arsenal.com). There's also a feature on young Hale End product Tom Smith, who is currently balancing life in the EFL with his economics studies (Arsenal.com).
On the women's side, Sky Sports columnist Laura Hunter has been assessing Arsenal's defensive struggles, suggesting head coach Renée Slegers can no longer put recent issues down simply to "fine margins" after the second round of WSL fixtures (Sky Sports).
Finally, a lighter trip down memory lane, as a former opponent has recalled a moment from Thierry Henry's playing days, describing seeing a rival player leave the pitch after an encounter with the Arsenal and France great, calling the whole episode "crazy" (Football.London).
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.