Arsenal will be looking to returning to winning ways after a dismal showing before the international break that saw the Gunners draw with Liverpool, lose to Newcastle United and draw with Chelsea.
The major positive from the stalemate with Chelsea was the much-anticipated return of club captain, Martin Odegaard, but on the same night, Bukayo Saka suffered an injury and could not finish the game. To add more insult to injury, Leandro Trossard was substituted early while on international duty, leading to more groans from the Emirates faithful.
Head coach, Mikel Arteta, met with the journos at the Sobha Realty Center and gave vital updates on some of his key players
Injury updates on the defenders
Champions League 2024/25 Arsenal v FC Shakhtar Donetsk Champions League 2024/25 Arsenal v FC Shakhtar Donetsk Emirates Stadium. Riccardo Calafiori of Arsenal. 22.10.2024 PUBLICATIONxINxGERxAUTxSUIxONLY Copyright: xMarcxAsplandx NINTCHDBPICT000942956170
Riccardo Calafiori suffered an unfortunate injury against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League, while Kieran Tierney and Takehiro Tomiyasu had been out for a considerable chunk of time. The latest defender to suffer an injury blow was Benjamin White, that had to go under the knife to mitigate a long-standing groin issue.
On Calafiori, Arteta stated,
“Riccy trained today. His rehab has gone really well. He will be in the squad.
This is amazing news, because Arteta has clearly lost faith in Oleksandr Zinchenko, opting to field the rather inexperienced Myles Lewis-Skelly in his stead. Jakub Kiwior is also another eligible option for the left back berth, but his performance against Bournemouth left a lot to be desired, with the gaffer only favoring him in the Carabao Cup clashes against weaker opposition.
Arteta also confirmed the lengthy absence for White,
“Ben is gonna be out for months. It’s been different kinds of struggles. It’s never been the same thing. It’s not been improving. It got to a point a where we have to protect the player. Unfortunately it’s going to be a few months.”
This certainly seems like the best decision for White and he has adequate cover with Jurrien Timber very adept playing as a right back. If push comes to shove, Thomas Partey can also be deployed in that role.
Injury updates on the midfielders and forwards
– England v Greece, UEFA Nations League 2024/25, League B Group B2 Match, Wembley Stadium, London, UK – 10th October 2024. Daniel Weir / Crystal Pix Bukayo Saka of England & Arsenal receives medical treatment for an injury and is taken off as a substitute. – England v Greece, UEFA Nations League 2024/25, League B Group B2 Match, Wembley Stadium, London, UK – 10th October 2024. Daniel Weir / Crystal Pix London Wembley Stadium UK Copyright: xDanielxWeirx/xCrystalxPixx CP_England_Greece_75
Bukayo Saka has been a modicum of consistency in terms of his performances, output and most importantly, minutes, but this season injury has taken its toll on the Arsenal winger. Arteta confirmed his status,
“Bukayo and Declan is very good they had partial session.”
This shows that Saka is not fully fit but we will have to wait for kickoff to verify his status. I feel he would start though
