Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has given an encouraging injury update prior to the Gunners’ mouth-watering Champions League tie against Bayern Munich.

Arsenal prepare for Bayern Munich amid injury doubts

Arteta’s side welcome Bayern to the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday in what promises to be a defining European encounter, with the Premier League title favourites riding high following their dominant 4-1 North London derby victory over Tottenham last weekend.

Arsenal delivered a masterclass against their bitter rivals, showcasing the attacking fluidity and defensive solidity that has characterised their strongest displays this season.

That emphatic win not only reinforced Arsenal’s credentials as top title contenders domestically, but also provided the perfect psychological boost ahead of this crucial European test.

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-1 Tottenham

Arsenal’s preparation has been complicated by several injury concerns, with captain Martin Odegaard still touch and go after failing to make the matchday squad for Spurs.

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ByEmilio Galantini Nov 14, 2025

Gabriel Martinelli and Noni Madueke returned to the side on Sunday following their respective injuries with both men ready to play a part tonight, as did Riccardo Calafiori, but Odegaard, Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Magalhaes and Gabriel Jesus were all nowhere to be seen.

Arteta may well be forced to play Mikel Merino as a makeshift number nine once again, a challenge the Spaniard has relished throughout 2025, with this game still coming too soon for Jesus.

That being said, Arteta has some good news about the Brazil international.

Gabriel Jesus in line for 'earlier than expected' Arsenal injury return

According to Arsenal’s manager, speaking in his pre-Bayern press conference, the 28-year-old’s recovery is actually further along than expected, and he’s about to be knocking on the door.

Jesus hasn’t played a single minute since rupturing his ACL during Arsenal’s FA Cup defeat to Man United in January, so it is approaching a year since he was last able to take part.

The former Man City star is on record stating this is the worst injury he’s ever had, and Jesus was repeatedly linked with a winter window exit following the arrival of Gyokeres in the summer.

Jesus, though, has poured cold water over the possibility of a transfer multiple times recently, even though he confirmed his intention to one day return to Palmeiras.

Arteta, meanwhile, has also said that he’s looking forward to welcoming Arsenal’s ‘unpredictable’ weapon back into the fold.

One of the targets Leeds United have for the January transfer window seems to be a new striker. Despite bringing Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha in for free over the summer, they have been lacklustre in front of goal, and are now set to sign a new number nine.

Indeed, that player could be Troy Parrott. The former Tottenham Hotspur star is said to be a key target for the Whites going into the winter transfer window.

However, the 49ers will not have a clear run at his signature, with Wolverhampton Wanderers also keen on the £20m-rated star.

Indeed, the Irish international is a man in excellent goalscoring form, sparking such interest.

Why Leeds want to sign Parrott

£20m is a small fee in the current transfer market, and Parrott certainly seems like he’d be worth that sort of price. The 23-year-old has been in excellent goalscoring form this season for both his club, Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar, and his country, Ireland.

For the Dutch top-flight side, the Spurs academy graduate has bagged an impressive 14 goals in 15 appearances, chipping in with a couple of assists, too. His form in the Eredivisie has been scintillating, with seven goals in eight appearances.

However, what has really stood out of late is Parrott’s form for Ireland.

He became a national hero earlier in the month, bagging five times in just two World Cup qualifiers to help guide his side to the playoffs and keep their dream of going Stateside next summer well and truly alive.

The 33-cap Ireland star kicked off November’s qualifiers by scoring twice to sink Portugal in a 2-0 win. Next up was a game against Hungary, in which the centre-forward bagged a remarkable hat-trick, scoring the third in stoppage time, to secure a 3-2 win and a playoff spot.

To fund the signing of Ireland’s striker, though, Leeds might first have to sell one of their highest earners.

The player Leeds must now sell

After a summer of heavy spending under the new 49ers regime, there is no saying just how much Leeds will have at their disposal in January.

The reported £20m fee for Parrott isn’t too expensive in the grand scheme of things, but who knows how much the Whites have left in the bank?

Thus, it might be the case that Jack Harrison has to depart the club in January. He has not been in good form this season after returning to the club following two years on loan at Everton, and isn’t necessarily loved by the fans. They even booed him in a preseason friendly upon his return.

Indeed, Harrison has not been the most trusted lieutenant this season under Daniel Farke. He’s played ten times in the Premier League, but has only started once and has racked up just 262 minutes.

Whilst the Stoke-born winger has yet to bag this term, he has scored 34 times and assisted 32 for Leeds across his career.

Perhaps the highlight of that was a hat-trick away to West Ham United back in 2022. However, he simply can’t reach that sort of form nowadays.

As for his time as an Everton player, those were a forgettable couple of seasons. The former Middlesbrough star played 73 games for the Toffees, but could only muster nine goals and assists.

Premier League legend Gary Neville said at the end of last season that his “quality’s been poor” for the Merseysiders.

It is easy to see why Harrison might be the fall guy for Leeds if they are to sell someone. Valued at £10.5m by Transfermarkt, he is also the second-highest earner at the club, on £90k per week, a yearly total of £4.68m.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin

£100k

£5.2m

Jack Harrison

£90k

£4.68m

Sean Longstaff

£80k

£4.16m

Daniel James

£75k

£3.9m

Noah Okafor

£72.5k

£3.77m

Selling Harrison this winter could help Leeds raise the funds they need to add to their squad up front. Depth on the left wing is not necessarily an issue, with Noah Okafor and Wilfried Gnonto both fighting it out for a starting spot out there.

If Leeds can help themselves sign Parrott by selling Harrison, a player who hasn’t exactly set the world alight with his form this term, then it might be an excellent piece of business.

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ByKelan Sarson Nov 24, 2025

R Ashwin, the only player with a base price in six figures, went unsold in the inaugural ILT20 player auction in Dubai. The former India spinner didn’t reappear in the accelerated auction, but there’s a possibility that he can still feature in the upcoming season as a wildcard. Two franchises, MI Emirates and Desert Vipers, are yet to complete their wildcard signings.Vipers were the only team to bid for Pakistan players a day after the PCB suspended all no-objection certificates for players who want to participate in T20 leagues outside Pakistan. No reason has been given as to why this action was taken.Vipers snapped up Fakhar Zaman (USD 80,000), Naseem Shah (USD 80,000) and Hasan Nawaz (USD 40,000) all at their base prices.Vipers also picked the Afghanistan pair of Qais Ahmad and Faridoon Dawoodzai.West Indies wicketkeeper-batter Andre Fletcher fetched the highest bid of USD 260,000. MI Emirates outbid rivals to retain him for a fourth successive season.Related

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UAE wicketkeeper-batter Vriitya Aravind, who was with MI Emirates and Dubai Capitals in the past, was the first player to attract a bid in the auction, also going to Vipers for USD 10,000.Pakistan-born UAE fast bowler Junaid Siddique triggered a bidding war, with Gulf Giants bidding up to USD 170,000 for him, but Sharjah Warriorz used their RTM to match that bid and bring him back to their franchise. Siddique’s recent form is particularly encouraging: he was the third-highest wicket-taker in the Asia Cup with nine strikes in three games at an average of 6.33 and an identical economy rate.Akshay Wakhare, a former Ranji Trophy winner with Vidarbha, earned a gig with Dubai Capitals while former India Under-19 captain Unmukt Chand, who has now moved to the USA, went to Abu Dhabi Knight Riders.A day before the player auction, Warriorz unveiled former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik as a replacement for Kusal Mendis.The ILT20’s fourth season, to be held in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah, begins on December 2 this year, and will run until January 4, 2026, featuring six teams across 34 matches.JP Duminy raises the paddle for Sharjah Warriorz•ILT20

Squads

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (Total Spent: USD 1,457,000)
Auction Signings: Michael Pepper (USD 40,000), George Garton (USD 10,000), Brandon McMullen (USD 110,000), Ibrar Ahmed (USD 22,000), Ajay Kumar (USD 10,000), Adnan Idrees Muhammad (USD 10,000), Abdul Manan Ali (USD 10,000), Mayank Chowdary (USD 10,000), Khary Pierre (USD 10,000), Shadley Van Schalkwyk (USD 10,000), Unmukt Chand (USD 40,000)Retentions + Direct Signings: Liam Livingstone, Alishan Sharafu, Alex Hales, Sherfane Rutherford, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Phil Salt, Olly StoneDesert Vipers (Total Spent: USD 1,617,500)
Auction Signings: Vriitya Aravind (USD 10,000), Fakhar Zaman (USD 80,000), Naseem Shah (USD 80,000), Qais Ahmad (USD 40,000), Sanjay Pahal (USD 10,000), Bilal Tahir (USD 10,000), Faisal Khan (USD 10,000), Hasan Nawaz (USD 40,000), Tom Bruce (USD 80,000), Matiullah Khan (USD 10,000), Tawanda Muyeye (USD 40,000), Faridoon Dawoodzai (USD 10,000)Retentions + Direct Signings: Dan Lawrence, Max Holden, David Payne, Khuzaima Bin Tanveer, Lockie Ferguson, Wanindu Hasaranga, Sam Curran, Andries GousDubai Capitals (Total Spent: USD 1,475,000)
Auction Signings: Muhammad Farooq (USD 10,000), Tymal Mills (USD 80,000), Scott Currie (USD 250,000), Mohammad Nabi (USD 80,000), Farhan Khan (USD 10,000), Anudeep Chenthamara (USD 10,000), Usman Najeeb (USD 10,000), Ritesh Mallikarjuna Grandhi (USD 10,000), Shayan Jahangir (USD 10,000), Rushil Ugarkar (USD 10,000), Naveen Bidiasee (USD 10,000), Toby Albert (USD 10,000), Akshay Wakhare (USD 10,000)Retentions + Direct Signings: Jordan Matthew Cox, Rovman Powell, Gulbadin Naib, Sediqullah Atal, Waqar Salamkheil, Haider Ali, Muhammad Jawadullah, Jimmy NeeshamGulf Giants (Total Spent: USD 1,471,000)
Auction Signings: Asif Khan (USD 26,000), Zuhaib Zubair (USD 10,000), Sean Dickson (USD 10,000), Tabraiz Shamsi (USD 40,000), Liam Dawson (USD 170,000), Fred Klaassen (USD 40,000), Haider Razzaq (USD 50,000), Meet Bhavsar (USD 14,000), Ishtiaq Ahmad (USD 16,000), Lorcan Tucker (USD 10,000), Chris Wood (USD 40,000), Tom Moores (USD 40,000), Ramon Simmonds (USD 40,000)Retentions + Direct Signings: Aayan Afzal Khan, Mark Adair, Gerhard Erasmus, Blessing Muzarabani, Moeen Ali, James Vince, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rahmanullah GurbazMI Emirates (Total Spent: USD 1,868,000)
Auction Signings: Muhammad Rohid (USD 140,000), Jordan Thompson (USD 48,000), Naveen-ul-Haq (USD 100,000), Andre Fletcher (USD 260,000), Nosthush Kenjige (USD 10,000), Mohamed Shafeeq (USD 10,000), Zain Ul Abidin (USD 10,000), Usman Khan (USD 10,000), Ackeem Auguste (USD 10,000), Arab Gul (USD 10,000), Tajinder Dhillon (USD 10,000), Zahoor Khan (USD 10,000), Shakib Al Hasan (USD 40,000)Retentions + Direct Signings: Fazalhaq Farooqi, Tom Banton, Romario Shepherd, Chris Woakes, Jonny Bairstow, AM Ghazanfar, Muhammad Waseem, Kamindu MendisSharjah Warriorz (Total Spent: USD 1,664,000)
Auction Signings: Junaid Siddique (USD 170,000), James Rew (USD 10,000), Nathan Sowter (USD 100,000), Dwaine Pretorius (USD 120,000), Jayden Seales (USD 80,000), Harmeet Singh (USD 10,000), Wasim Akram (USD 55,000), Mohamed Nawfer Mohamed Aslam (USD 14,000), Raees Ahmad (USD 10,000), Richard Ngarava (USD 10,000), Shubham Ranjane (USD 10,000), Ethan D’Souza (USD 10,000), Taskin Ahmed (USD 80,000), Abdul Salman Khan (USD 10,000)Retentions + Direct Signings: Dinesh Karthik, Sikandar Raza, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Tim David, Johnson Charles, Tim Southee, Saurabh Netravalkar

Chelsea have now moved ahead of Arsenal in the race to sign Marseille striker Robinio Vaz, having opened talks, and a January offer is now being explored.

The Blues’ interest in signing a new striker perhaps stems from the slow start Liam Delap has made to life at Stamford Bridge, most recently failing to find the back of the net in the 2-0 victory at Burnley, before being replaced by Malo Gusto in the second half.

Michael Owen was critical of some aspects of the striker’s performance too, saying: “I do think in this situation he needs to be a little bit more unselfish, he probably could have passed it a couple of times.

“If he plays this ball in [to Pedro Neto] and makes a run to take the defender away, he will leave Neto with a one-on-one in this area. I think he’s got to do that instead of being a bit selfish and thinking he’s going to score a goal on his own. He takes a pot-shot from 25 yards and it’s not great.”

Ultimately, Enzo Maresca’s side prevailed regardless, but it was another poor performance from the 22-year-old, who is still yet to open his account since moving to west London, and a new centre-forward is being targeted for the January transfer window.

Chelsea make contact to sign Robinio Vaz

According to a report from Caught Offside, Chelsea have now opened talks over a deal for Marseille striker Vaz, having made contact with both the French club and the 18-year-old’s representatives ahead of a potential January move.

The Blues are exploring the possibility of making a formal bid for the youngster this winter, and they have moved ahead of London rivals Arsenal in the race for his signature, with the Gunners taking a more patient approach.

A deal would be relatively affordable, with the Ligue 1 side looking to hold out for €20m – €30m (£18m – £26m), but they are in no rush to cash-in, having already knocked back an offer from an unnamed European club.

The Frenchman has been a breakout star for Marseille this season, managing to become a first-team regular, having only missed one Ligue 1 game, and he has weighed in with four goals and two assists in 12 outings.

Scout Ben Mattinson also clearly believes the starlet has a lot of potential, having singled him out for high praise when giving an overview of his key strengths on X back in February.

Vaz could be a future star, but with a Premier League title push potentially on the cards, Chelsea could do with bringing in a striker with a little more experience in January, rather than yet another youngster.

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ByDominic Lund Nov 23, 2025

The last five years of his Test career were not very prolific, but Pujara still ended with numbers that mark him as one of India’s best in the format

S Rajesh25-Aug-2025With an aggregate of 7195 runs in his 103 Tests, Cheteshwar Pujara ranks eighth in the list of top run-getters in the format for India. Only Rahul Dravid has more runs for India from No. 3 than Pujara’s 6529, which is a testament to his quality at the top of the order.However, with Pujara, the runs he scored only told part of the story. His true value was in the number of balls he consumed at the crease, ensuring that the batters who followed had the luxury of facing a ball and a bowling attack considerably less fresh than at the start of the innings.ESPNcricinfo LtdOver the duration of Pujara’s Test career – from October 2009 to June 2023 – only four batters faced more deliveries than his 16,217 in the format: Joe Root, Alastair Cook, Steven Smith and Azhar Ali. That, in a nutshell, illustrates Pujara’s value to the India team for almost 14 years. In terms of batting averages, Pujara sits at a modest 11th position among the 19 players who scored at least 5000 runs during his career span, but with him, just the runs scored doesn’t paint the complete picture.Related

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In the 103 Tests, Pujara was dismissed once every 98.3 deliveries. That puts him in fifth position among those 19 batters mentioned above, which is significantly better than his rank based on averages. In an age when aggression and taking the attack to the bowlers is increasingly seen as the best approach, Pujara belonged to a dwindling tribe that believed in grinding down an attack. It is an approach that attracted a fair share of detractors, but it also fetched him over 7000 Test runs and 19 hundreds.