The first international break of the 2023/24 season has arrived and Arsenal will be well-represented.
It's been a near-perfect start to the campaign for the Gunners - in terms of results in the Premier League - so it remains to be seen if this break disrupts any momentum, especially after the weekend's high of coming from behind to beat Manchester United in dramatic fashion.
So after four matches, Arsenal are one of six sides still unbeaten as they trail early pace-setters Manchester City by two points. With a trip to Goodison Park to face Everton in the first fixture after the international break, Mikel Arteta will be hopeful all of his players return unscathed.
Although, as several senior stars are jetting off around the globe, with Euro 2024, South American World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers taking centre stage, the Gunners manager is going to be keeping everything crossed as he will lose 16 first-team players - currently at the club - for the next fortnight following Brazil's Gabriel Jesus announcement.
Not named in new manager Fernando Diniz's original squad for the upcoming games against Bolivia and Peru - presumably because of the knee injury that sidelined him earlier in the campaign - it was revealed on Monday evening that he has replaced Antony with the Manchester United winger being dropped amid accusations of assault.
An official statement reads: "Brazilian national team coach called up Arsenal player Gabriel Jesus for the first two games of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Due to the facts that became public this Monday (04/09), involving striker Antony, from Manchester United, and which need to be investigated, and in order to preserve the alleged victim, the player, the Brazilian team and the CBF, the entity informs that the athlete has been withdrawn from the Brazilian team. To replace him, coach Fernando Diniz called Gabriel Jesus, who was pre-selected on a list of 36 players, sent to FIFA."
This means Jesus will join up with Arsenal teammates Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Magalhaes for international duty with the latter in line to finally make his senior debut for The Seleção. Meanwhile, William Saliba is back with the France national team following injury and he could come up against Kai Havertz next week with the £65million summer signing named in the Germany squad.
But before that, the 24-year-old may cross paths with Takehiro Tomiyasu as Japan warm-up for next year's AFC Asian Cup by facing the 2014 World Cup winners in a friendly in Wolfsburg this Friday.
Captain Martin Odegaard could be the first Gunners star in action during the break with Norway facing Jordan in a friendly on Thursday just over an hour before Jakub Kiwior aims to win his 14th Poland cap in their Euro 2024 qualifier at home to the Faroe Islands.
David Raya is in the Spain squad for their double-header against Georgia and Cyprus, while fellow goalkeeper Karl Hein could get some game time with Estonia, potentially coming up against a familiar face in Leandro Trossard against Belgium in a qualifier next Tuesday evening.
As many as five Arsenal players could be on the pitch at the same time when Ukraine and England face off in a Euro 2024 qualifier. Of course, Oleksandr Zinchenko will be on one side up against Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice as it remains to be seen if Eddie Nketiah is handed his Three Lions debut or if Aaron Ramsdale gets a chance in between the sticks.
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