Mikel Merino
January 2026
Arsenal’s Mikel Merino had surgery on a fractured foot and posted an upbeat recovery message, but faces a spell out with a rare injury type, per Arteta. Merino was hurt in Arsenal’s 3-2 loss to Manchester United. Arteta said the case is unusual and depends on post-surgery healing and monitoring. Merino confirmed the operation is done and signalled his intent to return as soon as the recovery process allows.
Jérémy Jacquet
January 2026
Jeremy Jacquet suffered a left shoulder injury and may need surgery, putting the remainder of his 2025-26 season at risk before his planned summer move to Liverpool. Jacquet left Rennes’ 3-1 loss to Lens in significant discomfort. Reporting claims an operation could be required, and Rennes coach Habib Beye described the outlook as serious, with Jacquet set for weeks out at minimum and potentially missing the rest of the campaign through rehabilitation.
Scott McTominay
January 2026
Napoli came from behind to beat Genoa 3-2 with a stoppage-time penalty, with Højlund scoring twice and McTominay also on target, but Conte confirmed his midfielder is playing through an ongoing tendon problem that forced him off at halftime. Napoli trailed to a Ruslan Malinovskyi penalty, then struck back through Højlund and McTominay. McTominay was replaced at the break, Napoli later went down to 10 after Juan Jesus’ red card, conceded an equaliser, then won it via VAR-awarded penalty converted by Højlund.
Jérémy Jacquet
January 2026
New Liverpool signing Jérémy Jacquet appeared to suffer a serious shoulder injury during Rennes’ 3-1 loss to Lens, raising fears of a significant layoff ahead of his planned summer move to Anfield. He went down in pain, left the pitch with medical assistance, and held his arm in a makeshift sling using his shirt, suggesting possible major damage. He had completed 28 of 32 passes before going off.
Rodrygo
January 2026
Rodrygo has a right hamstring injury (around 10-day estimate) and will miss both legs of the Champions League knockout play-off due to a two-match ban for abusive language toward officials. Madrid confirmed the hamstring issue, which would normally allow a quick return, but the suspension overrides availability for the Benfica rematch. He is also set to miss domestic fixtures (Valencia, Real Sociedad) and could return by February 21 vs Osasuna, depending on recovery.
Virgil van Dijk
January 2026
Slot said Liverpool’s planning is long-term, and he believes Van Dijk can remain at the club beyond his current deal if he stays fit, even as Liverpool invest in younger centre-back succession. Slot framed Jacquet’s recruitment as deliberate succession planning, not panic. He stressed Van Dijk’s durability at his age and noted the club is preparing for eventual life without him while still expecting near-term continuity.
Paul Pogba
January 2026
Monaco removed Pogba from their Champions League squad, with the midfielder limited to three brief Ligue 1 appearances and still battling recurring fitness issues after his ban and long layoff. Reports say Monaco also dropped Salisu and Minamino due to injuries, replacing them with Diatta, Faes and Adingra for the two-legged tie.
Martin Ødegaard
January 2026
Odegaard was a surprise omission from Arsenal’s squad against Chelsea and was not even on the bench. Arteta said he had picked up an untimely knock before kickoff, forcing a reshuffle. Eze started in the No.10 role, with Arsenal opting not to risk Odegaard after the late issue emerged.
Bukayo Saka
January 2026
Saka pulled out of Arsenal’s starting XI after picking up a groin issue in the warm-up at Elland Road. He is expected to miss the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Chelsea, but Arsenal believe the injury is not serious and he could return soon. Arteta said Saka felt a niggle in the warm-up, improved the next day, and Arsenal will monitor how he responds before deciding if he can feature “tomorrow or the weekend.”
