Arsenal Vs Nottingham Forest: Saka And Havertz Still Absent, Saliba Can Appear

JAKARTA - Front players Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz are still absent when Arsenal hosted Nottingham Forest in the afternoon match local time at the English Premier League, Saturday, September 13, 2025. On the other hand, defender William Saliba was able to play in that match.

Manajer Mikel Arteta memastikan keduanya masih menjalani proses pemulihan sehingga dia tak memaksakan mereka tampilkan dalam laga yang digelar di Stadion Emirates saat lunchtime atau Sabtu malam WIB.

Saka suffered a hamstring injury when Arsenal beat the Leeds United promotion team 5-0. He had to be dropped from the England squad during the 2026 World Cup qualifying round against Andorra and Serbia.

Even though it was a race against time, Saka had not yet been declared fit when Arsenal returned to play the match after the competition break.

"Openyo is still absent. He is actually trying to recover as soon as possible. But we still appreciate the recovery process," said Arteta.

"His condition is already better. He has also undergone several parts of the training. We are still waiting for how he will react after the exercise," he said.

When asked about Saka's chances in the inaugural Champions League match against Athletic Bilbao and then big match against Manchester City, Arteta also predicted his players were still not ready to appear.

"It looks like he's still not ready," said Arteta.

On the other hand, Havertz has recovered from a knee injury he experienced in his inaugural match against Manchester United which forced him to undergo surgery. Arteta said that the German national team striker had returned to training. But Arteta was not in a hurry to field Havertz in the match against Forest.

Kai's condition is better. He no longer felt pain as he walked and went through several parts of the training. "It must be admitted he had to make a tough decision to undergo surgery. But it was the right decision," said Arteta.

"Now, he can rest on his injured knee. However, I can't say for sure when he will return to play," he said.

Back To Rely On Viktor Gyokeres

Without Havertz and Gabriel Jesus still grappling with injuries and the possibility of recovering in December, the Gunners' front lines again rely on strikers Viktor Gyokeres. Gyokeres' presence made Arteta no longer wary of the front sector because his sharpness was maintained.

Gyokeres scored a brace in the match against Leeds. Only, he failed to show his skills when Arsenal were forced to give up 1-0 by Liverpool.

Saka's absence also doesn't make Arteta anxious. The reason is, two new players Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze have already shown impressive performance.

Madueke and Eze also played brilliantly in qualifying matches. Likewise, Spanish midfielder duo Mikel Merino and Martin Zubimendi who impressed. Their brilliant performance made Arsenal even more optimistic about Forest.

Both are likely to start. If they perform, captain Martin Odegaard will start the match on the bench.

Meanwhile, the Saliba defender was able to enter the squad. He was absent due to an ankle injury against Liverpool. However, Arteta has not confirmed whether Saliba is the first choice or starting the match by sitting on the bench.

William is back in training. But I haven't confirmed whether he will perform or not, "he said.

Arsenal's match against Forest which was held during the day started the competition which entered the fourth week. If you beat Forest, which is now being handled by former Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou, Arsenal will seize the throne of the Liverpool-controlled standings.

Player Composition Forecast

Arsenal:Raya; Timber, Mosquera, Gabriel, Calafiori; Merino, Zubimendi, Rice; Madueke, Gyokeres, Eze

Nottingham Forest: South; Morato, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Anderson, Sangare; Hudson-Odoi, Gibbs-White, Ndoye; Wood