Five players absent from Arsenal training ahead of Leeds as Mikel Arteta injury worry clear

Mikel Arteta has had a lot of work to do at the Sobha Realty Training Centre over the international break.

Mikel Arteta has been putting the Arsenal players through their paces ahead of this weekend's clash.

The Gunners will be determined to return to winning ways when they host Leeds United at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon, but Daniel Farke's side remains just one of five Premier League clubs yet to lose a game this season.

Before the international break, Brighton thrashed Arsenal at the Amex Stadium, allowing Manchester City to establish an early lead at the top of the table. Meanwhile, the West Yorkshire outfit were held to a goalless draw by Crystal Palace at Elland Road, climbing to fifth in the English top flight.

Until Sunday evening, when Enzo Maresca's side face Liverpool at Anfield, the Gunners could leapfrog Manchester City if they become the first team to defeat Leeds in the Premier League this season.

FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page

The Whites haven't beaten Arsenal in a competitive fixture since May 2003, when they won 3-2 at Highbury, but they will certainly fancy their chances following the pasting on the south coast last month.

Three Arsenal players in action

Cristhian Mosquera, Ben White, and Max Dowman were all in action at the Sobha Realty Training Centre.

At the end of August, Mosquera was forced to come off during Arsenal's win over Aston Villa with a 'muscular issue', which later turned out to be a hamstring injury, and he has not featured since. But now, the Gunners defender appears ready to bolster Arteta's backline if called upon.

White suffered a groin injury during Arsenal's win over Sunderland in September. The Gunners defender subsequently missed the defeat to Brighton just before the international break; he was also left out of the England squad by Thomas Tuchel.

As for Dowman, he pulled out of the England Under-19s squad over the weekend, missing the final fixture of the break due to suspension. The Arsenal midfielder was shown a red card for a reckless challenge during the second half of a victory against the United States.

Five Arsenal players absent

Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa, Kai Havertz, and Christos Tzolis were not spotted on the grass at the Sobha Realty Training Centre, though.

Rice withdrew from the England squad at the start of the international break due to load management concerns rather than an injury, missing the Nations League fixtures against Spain, the Czech Republic and Croatia. The Arsenal midfielder, who was in the building, has, though, been dealing with long-term neural hamstring pain.

Konsa also withdrew from the Three Lions setup, but he didn't pack his bags and leave until Monday. The Gunners defender suffered a knock during the bout with Spain at Wembley, subsequently missing the Czech Republic tie before playing 90 minutes against Croatia on Sunday.

Havertz was forced to come off during Germany's clash against the Netherlands in the UEFA Nations League last week, following a high challenge from Quinten Timber, the brother of Jurrien. The German Football Association later announced that he had suffered a 'muscle strain' before sending him home for further tests.

The Arsenal striker was in the building, though; he gave White a nice big huge upon his arrival. Tzolis suffered a hamstring injury during Greece's match against the Netherlands, and, despite wanting to play on, he was substituted in the 18th minute.

As for William Saliba, of course, he has been nursing a back injury, and he's yet to feature for Arsenal this season.

Nwaneri gets stuck in

No, not Ethan, Emerson! Emerson Nwaneri was included in first-team training at the Sobha Realty Training Centre this week, donning a white number 11 bib over his number 90-printed gear. White appeared to get the better of the Hale End prospect on one occasion, gliding past him with ease.

Zubimendi in good spirits

Martin Zubimendi appeared to be in good spirits despite a quiet start to the season, sharing a laugh with Miguel Molina. The Arsenal midfielder, who's played no more than 200 minutes for Arteta's side this term, would've hoped for a bit more game time while away with Spain on international duty... but he only banked about 100 minutes of action!