Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou and Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta revealed positive injury news ahead of Sunday’s North London Derby. Tottenham fans have been sweating the fitness of multiple stars including Mickey van de Ven and Dominic Solanke. The highly-rated duo missed the club’s most recent Premier League fixture before the international break. Spurs suffered a defeat to Newcastle without the typical starters.
Nevertheless, Postecoglou claimed that the pair is back in full training and should be fit for the rivalry match. Spurs are set to host their bitter rivals Arsenal on Sunday. “Micky’s [van de Ven] good, he’s trained all the way through the international break and it was good for him to stay with us to build him back up so he’s ready to go,” the Spurs coach told reporters on Friday.
“[Dominic Solanke] improved as well and trained the back half of this week. We still have two days to go with those guys, so hopefully they get through training ok and are available.”
Besides the duo, Postecoglou also claimed that Yves Bissouma has a “bit of an issue” and may miss the game. The midfielder was substituted late in the aforementioned Newcastle game as Spurs were looking for an equalizing goal.
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Arsenal Spurs injury news: Arteta refuses to rule out injured star midfielder
Potentially having Van de Ven back in the squad will be a major boost going into such a massive match. Much like Spurs, Arsenal is also dealing with several issues as well. In fact, the Gunners are expected to be without Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, and Mikel Merino this weekend. The England international is suspended for the Spurs game due to a previous red card. When fully fit, the trio would likely be Arteta’s regular starting midfield.
While it is unlikely for the two injured star midfielders to feature on Sunday, Arteta did give Arsenal fans some hope on the injury front. Odegaard recently suffered a seemingly nasty ankle injury while on international duty with Norway. The national team’s doctor eventually claimed that the star would miss around three weeks of action.
Arteta, however, did not exactly commit to this particular timeline. “We need some more tests so let’s see what happens in the next day or so, this afternoon probably, and see what happens with the extent of the injury and how quickly we can get him back,” stated Arteta.
“He is super positive about everything. We know Martin, he wants to be there every single day, but we have to wait and see. With 48 hours until the game, players could always become available, but let’s see what happens.”
Coaches should be cautious with injuries early in the season
The Arsenal boss also claimed that Merino is not feeling pain in his injured shoulder. The $35 million summer signing suffered a freak injury during his first training session with the team. Like with Odegaard, Arteta would not reveal how long he expects the Spaniard to remain on the sidelines. However, the coach’s comments appear to be good news for Arsenal fans.
Although both coaches have revealed some positive injury updates ahead of the big game, the teams should be cautious so early in the season. Potentially rushing back star players is a dangerous game, particularly just three games into the campaign. Not only is the season still young but both clubs have a heavy upcoming fixture list.
Arsenal has six total matches on the schedule within the next three weeks. Following Spurs, the club starts their Champions League campaign against Atalanta. They will then pivot back to the Premier League to face reigning English champions Manchester City. Another crucial European fixture with Paris Saint-Germain is also upcoming for the Gunners as well.
Spurs also have to play six games during this timeframe. While their Europa League opponents are not as formidable as Atalanta and PSG, the North London side has some tough tests in league play. Spurs will host Brentford next weekend before traveling away to Manchester United and Brighton.
Photo: IMAGO / Martin Dalton
