Arsenal sweating on Eze following a severe injury setback

The timing could hardly be worse. As Arsenal enter a defining stretch of their season, Eberechi Eze is set for a spell on the sidelines - an injury setback that threatens to disrupt momentum just as the stakes rise across three competitions.

The 27-year-old attacking midfielder is expected to miss around a month after suffering a calf injury in last week's win over Bayer Leverkusen. The issue ruled him out of Sunday's League Cup defeat to Manchester City and forced his withdrawal from the latest England national team squad.

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Early indications suggest Eze could be sidelined for between four and six weeks, although Mikel Arteta has confirmed a definitive scan will take place this week to determine the full extent of the damage.

Either way, it's a significant blow. Arsenal remain firmly in the hunt on multiple fronts, with decisive fixtures looming in the Premier League, UEFA Champions League and FA Cup - a period where depth, rhythm and availability become everything.

There is, however, a measure of relief on the horizon. Club captain Martin Odegaard is edging closer to a return after a month out with a knee injury. The Norwegian will sit out upcoming internationals against the Netherlands and Switzerland in a bid to fast-track his recovery, with hopes he can rejoin the squad immediately after the break.

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In that sense, the international window may offer the Gunners a small buffer. With no domestic fixtures in the immediate term, the disruption caused by Eze's absence could be softened, at least initially.

Up next is an FA Cup quarter-final trip to Southampton FC on April 4, a competition in which Arteta has not hesitated to rotate. But as the season edges toward its climax, losing a player of Eze's influence - even temporarily - adds an unwelcome layer of uncertainty to Arsenal's ambitions.