As the Premier League enters its third international break of the season, it arguably couldn't come at a better time for Mikel Arteta and his Arsenal squad.

The opportunity to take a much-needed rest period over the next two weeks could be vital to keep their charge for not only a spot in the top four but also a title challenge on the cards. It's no secret that the Gunners have had to deal with niggles and scares to some of their most valuable assets so far this season, with captain Martin Odegaard at the top of the list.

The Norwegian international has been suffering with a hip issue over the past few weeks, but was left out of clashes against Newcastle, Sevilla and Burnley due to a concussion. He was called up by his country last week ahead of their matches against the Faroe Islands and Scotland but has now pulled out of the camp in order to recover with Arsenal.

Norway had been prepared for the 24-year-old's potential withdrawal with manager Stale Solbakken revealing last week that no replacement would be called up if he was to leave. He said: "As for Martin Odegaard, we await the situation.

"If it happens that he has to report absent, a replacement will not be called in for him, as this was taken into account in the [original squad] selection. The club [Arsenal] are so reserved so I don’t know how much I should say about it.

"I have known so much about the injury so I’ve never really planned with Martin. I can say that it is a very normal football injury that you’ll very likely recover completely from. It’s not career-threatening."

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The issue means he's a major doubt for the Gunners' returning match against Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium, but Arteta will no doubt do all in his power to have him back for a testing run of matches over the winter period. Another star that is likely to miss out is Gabriel Jesus, who was strangely chosen by Brazil manager Fernando Diniz for international duty despite not having played for over three weeks due to a hamstring issue.

Under FIFA rules, the national team are allowed to select him and evaluate him themselves, meaning it's possible he's rushed back to action far sooner than Arteta might've been planning. After the decision, Arteta admitted: "I don't know [how the situation is], I'm going to talk to the doctors and him [Gabriel Jesus], because he didn't do any training with us.

"He's far from working with the team, but it's an internal communication between the club and the national team. The first intention is always to seek the best for the player."

Jesus' compatriot Gabriel Martinelli is another strange case, with the star reporting in for international duty despite suffering from a hamstring issue. It could mean that the star has managed to avoid a more significant injury which could've ruled him out for a number of weeks, although Brazil are likely to have him undergo their own examination similar to Jesus.

Ben White could also be a doubt after picking up a knock before the 3-1 win over Burnley and he was left out of the squad to face the Clarets. Arteta has confirmed that the club doctors are looking at him but he could be set for a return against the Bees in a couple weeks.

Takehiro Tomiyasu and Jorginho both picked up minor issues over the weekend, with the former having problem with his contact lenses and the latter receiving a few scrapes and bruises from some heavy challenges coming in from Vincent Kompany's side. Thomas Partey and Emile Smith Rowe are both also expected to miss out against Brentford.

Finally, Jurrien Timber will still remain on the sidelines for an extended period after his brutal knee injury just 47 minutes into his Arsenal debut on the opening weekend of the season. The issue has ruled him out of any footballing activity since, but has undergone surgery and is now in the rehabilitation phase of his recovery.