Arsenal’s international break has become a growing fitness problem. Martin Zubimendi is the latest player to leave national-team duty early. His withdrawal takes Arsenal’s list of absentees and early returns during the break to 10.
Zubimendi adds to Arsenal’s concerns
Zubimendi pulled out of the Spain squad with right-knee discomfort. Spain released him after their win over Serbia. The move allows Arsenal to assess him quickly and avoid more risk.
That makes this more than a one-player update. It shows how quickly the pressure is building around Arsenal’s squad fitness. The timing is especially difficult for Mikel Arteta.
The list keeps growing
The injury cluster now stretches across key parts of the team. Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and Noni Madueke all returned from England duty. Madueke picked up a knock in the 1-1 draw with Uruguay. Rice and Saka also left camp for medical checks.
Piero Hincapie also returned to Arsenal during the break. William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Jurrien Timber, Leandro Trossard and Eberechi Eze were unavailable for their countries. Martin Odegaard stayed in London as he continues recovery from a knee problem.
The Arsenal links are confirmed
This is a real Arsenal cluster, not a mixed international roundup. Arsenal’s official materials confirm that Zubimendi, Hincapie, Eze and Madueke are all first-team Arsenal players. Zubimendi joined from Real Sociedad in July 2025. Hincapie arrived from Bayer Leverkusen in September 2025. Eze signed in August 2025, while Madueke joined in July 2025.
That matters because it removes any doubt about the story frame. This is an Arsenal availability problem during a critical stage of the season.
Why this matters now
Arsenal are entering a defining run of matches. Their schedule includes an FA Cup quarter-final at Southampton on April 4. They also face Sporting in the Champions League and then Manchester City in a major Premier League clash. Reuters also reported that Arsenal lead City by nine points.
There is also a workload concern. Reuters reported that Thomas Tuchel pointed to the physical and mental toll on players after several England withdrawals. That does not solve Arsenal’s problem. But it helps explain why clubs are acting more carefully with fitness issues at this stage of the season.
The bigger Arsenal issue
The main story is not just that players withdrew from national duty. It is that Arsenal now approach a huge month without full clarity on several important players. Some of the issues may prove minor. But until the club confirms availability, the injury cluster remains a major subplot in Arsenal’s title push.
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