The defensive duo sat out the 2-1 Capital One Cup defeat to Southampton on Tuesday evening due to niggling injuries.
And Wenger says he had little choice playing an inexperienced back line that included 19-year-olds Hector Bellerin and Isaac Hayden with so many defenders sidelined.
“They [Gibbs and Mertesacker] will be alright,” the Frenchman said after the game. “We are a bit short, yes, because of the injuries we have.
“You sit there and think Gibbs had a little hamstring problem and we could not play him. Mertesacker is a bit on the edge, and then we have no choice.”
While the pair are expected to feature against Tottenham at the weekend, Nacho Monreal is a doubt, while Mathieu Debuchy faces three months out after undergoing surgery on his ankle.