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Arsenal could have as many as eight players injured when they return to competitive football after the March international break.

A treble is still on the cards for Mikel Arteta's Gunners, after the side missed out on the Carabao Cup to Manchester City last weekend. In that clash, Nico O'Reilly proved particularly problematic, as the full-back bagged a decisive brace in the 2-0 win for Pep Guardiola's Sky Blues.

While Arsenal have a week before they return to action to take on Southampton in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, which should in theory give players plenty of time to rest and recover, international football has added further stress to Arteta's hopes of clinching silverware due to key players turning out for their respective countries in friendlies and World Cup qualifiers.

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Noni Madueke, for example, was forced off the pitch just 38 minutes into England's 1-1 draw with Uruguay on Friday evening, when he collided with Rodrigo Aguirre. He could now join a lengthy injury list as Arsenal head into a crucial part of the season.

Here, football.london breaks down all of the sidelined Arsenal players at present, as well as their potential return dates...

Noni Madueke

Madueke wore a look of frustration as he passed Thomas Tuchel on the sidelines while making his way off the pitch on Friday evening, but footage captured in the aftermath proved particularly alarming for the forward.

The 24-year-old, who was forced to miss 15 matches for the Gunners earlier this season due to a knee injury, was spotted wearing a brace on his left leg as he was videoed leaving the stadium. As a result, Madueke is expected to drop out of Tuchel's squad ahead of Tuesday's match with Japan and should return to the English capital for further assessment.

Asked who would be leaving the England camp ahead of next week's fixture, Tuchel explained: "It's too early. Now we have some injuries and there's also a medical update on the players who came.

"Not everyone is fully fit as I understood. We will take late decisions and maybe take the decision only tomorrow to have a squad against Japan to compete."

Potential return date: Unknown.

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Eberechi Eze

Eberechi Eze missed the Carabao Cup final as a result of an injury sustained during Arsenal's Champions League win over Bayer Leverkusen earlier this month. Eze pulled out of the England squad as a result of the calf issue, and will now undergo further assessment.

However, it is thought that the attacking midfielder could be out of action for between four-to-six weeks, in a major blow to Arsenal in such a vital part of the season. The Gunners are set to play five matches in 15 days when they return from the international break, and player rotation will be essential to prevent further injury and fatigue within the squad.

However, they will likely be forced to head into the incredibly busy period without Eze at their disposal.

Potential return date: Late April or early May.

William Saliba

Similarly to Eze, William Saliba withdrew from this month's round of international fixtures - with France playing Brazil and Croatia. While the centre-half managed Sunday's Carabao Cup final, an ankle injury sustained during the contest saw him replaced by Maxence Lacroix for his national duties.

The French Football Federation said at the time: "William Saliba is unable to join the French national team's training camp, which begins this Monday, March 23. The Arsenal centre-back is suffering from recurring pain in his left ankle, requiring treatment and a minimum rest period of ten days."

If France's assessment proves accurate, it means that Saliba should be fit enough to feature against Southampton in the FA Cup.

Potential return date: Saturday, April 4 vs Southampton (FA Cup).

Leandro Trossard

Leandro Trossard also withdrew from the Belgium national team as a result of an issue with his hip. Little has been said about the forward's situation, and it remains unknown as to when he will be fit to return.

Potential return date: Unknown.

Martin Odegaard

Martin Odegaard was absent from Sunday's Carabao Cup final through a knee injury. Having missed around a month of football, it is unknown whether he will be fit to play a part in next weekend's FA Cup tie.

Potential return date: Unknown.

Gabriel Magalhaes

The Brazil Football Federation released a statement to explain that Gabriel would also miss his nation's friendlies against France and Croatia due to a "pain in his right knee." Imaging tests also confirmed an injury to the 28-year-old centre-half.

Potential return date: Unknown.

Jurrien Timber

Jurrien Timber was forced off during Arsenal's win over Everton earlier this month and is yet to feature since. The defender also withdrew from international duty with the Netherlands for their friendlies with Norway and Ecuador, with a statement from the Dutch FA reading: "Sunderland defender Lutsharel Geertruida has been added to the Netherlands national team squad by national coach Ronald Koeman.

"This follows the withdrawal of Jurrien Timber (Arsenal), who has not yet sufficiently recovered from an injury and is therefore unavailable for this international break."

Speaking ahead of the international break, meanwhile, Arteta explained that he will be assessed after the break in club action.

Potential return date: Saturday, April 4 vs Southampton (FA Cup).

Mikel Merino

While Mikel Merino will likely have recovered from his ankle injury to participate at this summer's World Cup for Spain, it seems as though the versatile midfielder's season is over for Arsenal. The club will not rush Merino's recovery, and the star was spotted at Wembley last weekend on a crutch and wearing a protective boot.

Potential return date: Next season.