Arsenal are facing concerns over the fitness of three defenders ahead of their upcoming match against Everton.

Everton had a break last weekend due to Storm Darragh causing the postponement of their Merseyside derby against Liverpool. This means Sean Dyche’s side will have a 10-day gap between games after their 4-0 win over Wolves, which lifted them five points clear of the Premier League relegation zone.

However, Everton now faces a challenging run, taking on Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester City. The Toffees travel to Arsenal on Saturday, where they’ve struggled historically, having lost nine of their last 10 visits to the Emirates. Their only victory there in recent years came in April 2021, thanks to an error by Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno. Dyche will need some luck again, but Arteta’s squad could be weakened by injuries.

Arsenal drew 1-1 with Fulham last weekend, missing key defenders Gabriel, Riccardo Calafiori, and Oleksandr Zinchenko. With Arsenal’s Champions League match against Monaco coming up, Arteta is uncertain about the trio’s availability. He said: “I hope they are fit enough to play, but it’s more a question for the doctors and physios to assess. We are missing a lot of players in the backline, but the positive thing is that whoever steps in responds with good attitude and performance.”

If Gabriel, Calafiori, and Zinchenko are unavailable, Arsenal could be without a total of five defenders. Ben White is already sidelined after undergoing surgery last month, and Takehiro Tomiyasu, who has played just six minutes this season, is also out long-term.