In a crucial Premier League clash with Bournemouth this Saturday, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta may be facing a situation where he could be without a full team of players, as various injury concerns have emerged.
The Gunners are set to visit the Vitality Stadium with the opportunity to go above Liverpool and Manchester City in the top-flight table with a victory. Despite their impressive form leading into the international break, concerns have arisen over the fitness of several key players.
With the likes of Thomas Partey, Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, and Gabriel Martinelli all dealing with injuries, Arteta is facing a selection headache ahead of the Bournemouth match. Even though some reports suggest that some players may still be available, the absence of several key figures from training images raises doubts about their availability.
Captain Martin Odegaard is also sidelined with an ankle injury setback, adding to Arteta’s woes. In addition, Kieran Tierney, Ben White, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Jurrien Timber, and Takehiro Tomiyasu were all missing from training photos, further adding to the injury crisis.
Another blow for Arsenal is the ineligibility of goalkeeper Neto, who is on loan at Bournemouth and cannot face his parent club. This compounds the situation for Arteta, who is left with a depleted squad for the upcoming game.
While Arteta keeps his cards close to his chest on team news updates, the injury crisis opens up opportunities for young players like Jack Porter, Tommy Setford, and Myles Lewis-Skelly to potentially feature in the squad. Ethan Nwaneri and Mikel Merino could also see their first Premier League starts if key midfielders remain unavailable.
As Arsenal navigate through this injury crisis, Arteta will have to make some tough decisions regarding his team selection for the Bournemouth clash. With several key players in doubt, the manager faces a challenging task to field a competitive lineup for the important fixture.