Arsenal go into Saturday’s meeting with Everton carrying a problem they would rather avoid, Bukayo Saka is out. The winger suffered a quad injury against Bayern Munich and lasted barely ten minutes before limping off. For Mikel Arteta, that changes the shape of the conversation straight away.

Saka’s absence matters because Arsenal are already short in the wide areas. Christos Tzolis is still unavailable with a hamstring issue, so there is no depth to hide behind here. The likely answer is simple enough, Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze should both start, while Max Dowman may get a look from the bench if the game state allows it.

Arsenal team news ahead of Everton

There is not much room for sweeping rotation despite the short turnaround from Munich. Arsenal are back at the Emirates on Saturday, with a Carabao Cup tie against Fleetwood still to come next week, and Arteta is expected to keep most of his stronger options in place. That makes sense. Everton are not the fixture for experiments.

Piero Hincapie is back available after an ankle problem and returned to full first-team training on Friday. He should be in the squad, though the smarter move may be to limit his workload and save a bigger role for the Fleetwood match. Myles Lewis-Skelly is a genuine option in midfield if fresh legs are required, and Ben White could come in at right-back after Jurrien Timber completed the full 90 minutes in Germany.

Mikel Arteta faces key attacking decision

One of the more awkward calls comes up front. Kai Havertz has been below his best since the international break, and that is being generous. Viktor Gyokeres made a positive impact off the bench against Bayern and did his case no harm at all. Even so, squad planning matters. Gyokeres looks the more likely starter in the Carabao Cup, which may leave Havertz in place for the league game.

That is often how these decisions work, less about form in isolation and more about managing two matches at once. Arteta will want control, structure and enough quality between the lines to pin Everton back. Martin Odegaard becomes central to that, with Declan Rice expected to anchor the midfield behind him.

Predicted Arsenal XI vs Everton

Predicted Arsenal XI: Raya, White, Konsa, Gabriel, Calafiori, Rice, Lewis-Skelly, Madueke, Odegaard, Eze, Havertz

Injured: Saliba, Tzolis, Saka

Kick-off is 3pm BST on Saturday October 24, 2026, at Emirates Stadium. Arsenal are favourites, and understandably so. Even without Saka, they still have enough to expect three points. The question is whether they can find fluency as well as a result.