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Mikel Arteta provides injury update on Jurrien Timber and Mikel Odegaard

By on March 20, 2026

Jurrien Timber Mikel Arteta Arsenal

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is hopeful that both Jurriën Timber and Mikel Ødegaard will be available for the Carabao Cup final clash against Manchester City on Sunday.

Ødegaard has spent the past month sidelined with a knee injury, missing six matches in all competitions.

Since February 12, his only involvement came as a substitute in the North London derby, at a time when he had not fully shaken off the issue sustained against Brentford.

Timber, on the other hand, was absent for the UEFA Champions League victory over Bayer Leverkusen in midweek after being forced off in the first half of the win against Everton last Saturday due to an ankle problem.

However, in positive news, Mikel Arteta has suggested the duo could feature in the Wembley showdown with City after confirming his squad does not have any fresh injury concerns.

Speaking in his pre-City presser regarding Arsenal’s injury issues and any potential availability for this weekend’s showdown, he said

‘We have another training session tomorrow, so the ones that are in contention hopefully can give us good news.’

When asked if Odegaard and Timber could return on Sunday, he replied, ‘Yeah, we have another session; let’s see.’

Boost

Arsenal’s quest for an unprecedented quadruple begins on Sunday when they face Pep Guardiola’s City in their first return to Wembley since 2023.

Their journey started in the third round with a 2–0 away victory over Port Vale, followed by another 2–0 win against Brighton & Hove Albion in the fourth round.

A tense quarter-final saw them overcome Crystal Palace after a 1–1 draw, progressing 8–7 on penalties, before a dominant semi-final display against Chelsea ended in a 4–2 aggregate victory.

Across the competition, they have scored nine goals in four matches while conceding just three, underlining a strong balance between attack and defence.

Overall, Mikel Arteta’s side has blended efficiency, defensive solidity, and composure in knockout scenarios, placing themselves in a strong position to lift the trophy. The Spaniard remains unbeaten at Wembley with Arsenal – as a player (W3, D1) and as a manager (W2, D2).

The Gunners are now aiming to win the EFL Cup for a third time, having previously triumphed in 1987 and 1993. However, they also hold the unwanted record of losing more League Cup finals than any other side (six), most recently in 2018 against Guardiola’s Manchester City.