Injury crisis hits Arsenal a week before showdown with Man City

The 2023/24 season may still be young, but injuries are beginning to mount up at Arsenal. The Gunners have already been without Thomas Partey and Jurrien Timber for much of the current campaign. However, manager Mikel Arteta has revealed that six more key players are now dealing with various setbacks as well.

Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Gabriel Martinelli, William Saliba, Leandro Trossard, and Fabio Vieira were all noticeably absent from the team’s most recent mid-week match. Arsenal narrowly beat Brentford 1-0 on Wednesday in a Carabao Cup third-round matchup without many first-team stars.

Many current Arsenal injuries not thought to be long-term concerns

Having eight senior players absent due to injuries is far from ideal. However, Arteta has claimed that many of these setbacks are not expected to be long-term issues. “We want them back, we need them back, but at the moment, they have not been available,” Arteta told reporters on Friday.

“Declan [Rice] wasn’t available for Brentford and he hasn’t trained yet,” continued the coach. “We have another session in an hour or two, so we’ll have more news about him today.”

Arteta confirmed that Saka also has not yet trained since the heated North London Derby against rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. “The assessment is ‘okay, is [Saka] fit enough and good enough to be able to be selected tomorrow?’ That’s the question mark and so far, he hasn’t trained with the team,” stated Arteta.

The Spaniard then revealed that Saliba and Vieira were in the same boat as the aforementioned start duo. “We have to adapt to the situation because that’s a big number [of injuries.] My hope is that everybody’s fit and available because we need them with what is coming in the next seven to 10 days,” proclaimed Arteta. “We need them so hopefully today, we get some good news.”

Arteta not looking beyond Bournemouth game

Arsenal faces Bournemouth at the weekend, but a critical matchup with reigning Premier League champions Manchester City awaits next week. The Gunners currently sit four points behind their familiar foes in the standings.

Nevertheless, Arteta has stressed that the club is not overlooking the fixture with the Cherries on Saturday. “It’s about now. It’s about Bournemouth, and this is the most important game that we have now in the season,” claimed Arteta. “That’s it.”

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