Arsenal and Fulham are back in Premier League action on Saturday as Mikel Arteta’s league leaders visit Craven Cottage for a huge London derby after the international break.

The Gunners went to the summit of the league table after a confident victory over West Ham United before the break, as they benefitted from successive defeats for Liverpool to become early October’s pace-setters.

A trip to the Cottage will represent a stern test, though, as Fulham are unbeaten at home and boast victories over Leeds United and Brentford on the banks of the River Thames. Successive away defeats at Aston Villa and Bournemouth have left the Cottagers 14th in the Premier League after seven matches.

Both sides have a series of injury concerns ahead of the fixture, with early team news surfacing ahead of the two clubs’ meeting in west London. Arteta and Marco Silva will be left with significant selection dilemmas for their respective sides’ anticipated return to action.

Serbia manager Dragan Stojkovic confirmed that Fulham midfielder Sasa Lukic will be out for four to six weeks with an adductor injury sustained early on in the defeat to Bournemouth. He said to the media last week: “Lukic has an injury to the adductor of his left leg, with a break between four and six weeks. We certainly couldn’t count on him against Albania due to the suspension.”

The home side will also be without Brazilian striker Rodrigo Muniz, who has missed their last two games with a hamstring injury. Manager Silva said on his return: “Rodrigo [Muniz], let’s see if we can have him back before the [November] international break.”

Cottagers full-back Kenny Tete is unlikely to be fully fit for the visit of Arsenal with a knee injury, though he has not required surgery.

“Right now, I can assure you that Rodrigo is going to be out, and Kenny Tete is going to be out, too,” said Silva ahead of the Bournemouth game. “More than just this game, we believe even after the international break it’s going to be an issue for them to be ready for the next ones. Bad news for us, a big blow for us in terms of two important players, [but] it is what it is.”

One of only two senior strikers in the Fulham squad alongside Muniz, Jimenez suffered a hip injury at Villa Park and is a doubt for Saturday’s fixture. He has not been in action for Mexico in hope of returning after the international break.

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard made unwanted headlines against West Ham when he became the first player in Premier League history to be substituted in the first half of three successive Premier League starts, all with injury. The midfielder was confirmed to have suffered an MCL injury to his knee and pulled out of the Norway squad for the international break. Saturday’s clash will come too soon for the 26-year-old.

England star Noni Madueke made a strong start to life in north London before suffering a knee injury against Manchester City. He is reportedly targeting a return in early November according to the Standard, though initial reports suggested the winger would be out for six to eight weeks.

New signing Piero Hincapie has only played one minute for the Gunners so far in a solitary substitute appearance since his move on an initial loan deal from Bayer Leverkusen in August. He has been struggling with a groin injury, but is expected to be back to fitness and in contention for the trip to Fulham.

He could make his Premier League debut if selected by Arteta, who said before the West Ham win: “He will be available after the international break. This game came too fast.”

Kai Havertz underwent knee surgery in August and will remain out for the foreseeable future. No timescale has been given for the German’s return, but he will hope to return to action in late 2025.

Brazil forward Gabriel Jesus continues his recovery from a torn ACL suffered back in January, and is getting slowly closer to a return. He has returned to training on grass, but may not be ready until the new year.