Fresh knocks to Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka compounded the worries on Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, following the 1-1 draw at Chelsea in the Premier League.
Rice was substituted after 71 minutes and Saka went off 10 minutes later as both Englishmen could not continue.
“It doesn’t look good because for two players of that importance to say they want to come off is unusual,” Arteta said after the derby at Stamford Bridge.
“I don’t expect them to be fit [for the international break] because if not they don’t come off.”
Arsenal, who headed into the contest without the likes of Riccardo Calafiori and Takehiro Tomiyasu, took the lead with a Gabriel Martinelli goal but matters were levelled when Pedro Neto was allowed space and time to shoot the Blues back into the contest.
The result left Chelsea in third place and Arsenal fourth – both of them nine points behind leaders Liverpool.
Arteta cut a disappointed figure with the way his side conceded the equaliser after working so hard to lead.
“After scoring the first goal I’m very disappointed with how we conceded the goal. That’s nowhere near the standards.
“That’s not very much like us.
“I think today we have to fault ourselves. That’s something that we have to do better.”
