ANOTHER huge SETBACK: Arsenal suffers huge injury setback to “sensational” £27 million talent while on international duty- Medical examinations suggest player will be sidelined for some time- Arteta wants his key players to step off from international responsibilities.
Arsenal injury news and updates on Bukayo Saka, William Saliba, and others.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will be concerned about the fitness of many players following their recent Premier League victory over Manchester City.
Bukayo Saka was left out of the England team after failing to make the matchday roster at the Emirates.
Arteta is also concerned about a few more crucial players, with the Gunners set to face Chelsea next.
Arsenal enters the month of October’s international fixtures in second place in the Premier League, after to a thrilling last-gasp win over rivals Manchester City, and are only a goal difference away from first place.
Mikel Arteta’s team had to make due without Bukayo Saka for the first time in a few years at the weekend, and the England international is the season’s latest injury victim. The following is a round-up of all the latest injury news and updates from Arsenal, as well as prospective return dates.
BUKAYO SAKA
Bukayo Saka was the notable omission from the Arsenal team this weekend, despite rumours prior to the game indicating that he had participated in the final training session.
It was then reported that the winger would still report to international duty with England and could even make an appearance against Australia and Italy, but it was later confirmed that Saka would return to Arsenal to continue his rehabilitation after some medical checks.
Given Saka’s consistency and dependability for the Gunners over the last few years, Arteta and Arsenal are desperate for him to return. Gabriel Jesus had to fill in on the right wing against City, but Saka is the north London club’s only left-footed natural right winger.
William Saliba
William Saliba, the man whose injury lost Arsenal the league title last season, demonstrated in Sunday’s match against Manchester City why and how he is so important to this Gunners club right now. The France international easily neutralized Erling Haaland’s threat, ensuring the Norwegian attacker didn’t even have a shot on target for the entire 90 minutes.
While Saliba missed the final 11 games of the previous season due to a back injury, it has now been revealed that he was playing with a toe injury this time around, ruling him out of France’s international games.
However, the problem is not considered significant, and it is deemed to be more of a bother right now, and there is hope that the towering Frenchman will be fit and available for Arsenal’s game against Chelsea immediately after the international break.
While Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu may come in at right centre-back, the Gunners simply don’t look the same without Saliba, and any aspirations of winning the Premier League this year will very certainly hinge on him keeping fit for the full season.
Leandro Trossard
In the midst of the celebrations surrounding Gabriel Martinelli’s return and winning goal at the Emirates, it’s easy to forget that Leandro Trossard was forced off at halftime with an injury of his own. Following his transfer from fellow Premier League club Brighton, the Belgium international has continued his great form from last season, but he appears to have picked up a hamstring injury that will keep him out for the foreseeable future.
According to a Belgian update, Trossard has been forced to withdraw from his country’s EURO qualification double header against Austria and Sweden, respectively, with The Daily Mirror reporting that he is now due to undergo further evaluation to determine the extent of the damage.
Jurrien Timber
Jurrien Timber’s Arsenal career was dealt the cruelest blow when he went down with a knee injury earlier this season, making him the club’s most long-term ailment right now. The Dutch international has since undergone successful surgery and is now in the rehabilitation phase of his recovery, but he is not expected to return until at least a few months into the new year – given the general timescales for players returning from ACL injuries, Arsenal fans should not expect to see Timber back in action until March or April at the earliest.
If Timber is able to return on time, or possibly ahead of schedule if all goes well, the Dutchman might play a crucial role in determining the Premier League title this season. The Gunners will also be hoping to be in the latter stages of the Champions League by the time he returns, and his comeback would genuinely be like a new signing.
Thomas Partey
In better injury news, Thomas Partey returned against Manchester City last weekend and played a key role in the winner, providing the long pass for Takehiro Tomiyasu to nod on to Kai Havertz. The Ghana international has had a troubled injury record during his time at the Emirates, and while Arsenal have survived the last several weeks without him, they are clearly a superior team with him on the field.
Partey has been chosen to his country’s squad for games against Mexico and the United States, so Arteta will be hoping that one of his senior midfielders can avoid any niggles or concerns. On paper, a midfield trio of Partey, Declan Rice, and Martin Odegaard seems fearsome in terms of force, skill, and technique, and Arsenal fans will be hoping to see that soon, especially with the Chelsea game on the horizon.
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