Arsenal FC will next be in action a week from Saturday, when they host Brentford in what should be a very spirited London derby. Gunners boss Mikel Arteta will have plenty of injury concerns for that one.
So let’s just dive right in, and take a look at who is out, who is a doubt, who is probable and who will be returning. Happy international break everyone!
Arsenal FC Injury Updates
Martin Odegaard
Reports indicate that the team captain took a ball to the face during a recent training session, and that put him through concussion protocol, which then forced him to sidelines. There have also been claims that Odegaard is dealing with a hip issue as well, but the club have done their best to deliberately keep most people in the dark.
“I don’t know,” Arteta said the last time he spoke on the status of Odegaard. “I am going to have a meeting now with the medical department and Edu to understand everyone’s situation but I think he is going to be back after the international break. I don’t know exactly what is the decision and the communication at the moment.”
He is expected to be fine for the next fixture.
Gabriel Martinelli
While he appeared to be dealing with some discomfort in his hamstring, Martinelli was also spotted training with Brazil, so he’s fine. No worries here!
Gabriel Jesus
He was subbed off early in the Sevilla UEFA Champions League clash and hasn’t featured since. The former Manchester City man has been dealing with a hamstring injury after suffering a reoccurrence of his knee injury earlier on this season. Despite these issues, he was deemed fit enough to be called up for Brazil duty and he is contention to feature in the World Cup qualifier against Argentina on Nov. 22.
We’ll see if he is passed fit to feature, and if so, Arsenal will certainly hope he emerges unscathed. Arteta had previously said that Jesus was going to be on the sidelines for weeks, so this is all a bit confusing.
Ben White
He missed out on the Burnley clash, due to an unspecified knock, and thus his issue is not thought to be substantial, let alone severe. He should be back available for the next match, and his absence was purely precautionary.
“Yesterday in training he wasn’t comfortable. He didn’t look right. But Ben won’t give you much. He always wants to be on the pitch and he wants to hide anything that is in there.
“But we highlighted something happening there that we noticed in the last two weeks as well. We wanted to protect him today. It was the right call from the physios and the medical department and tomorrow we will assess him and understand what’s happening.”
Emile Smith Rowe
He has a knee injury that is going to sideline him for awhile.
“We have an issue with him,” Arteta said of ESR. “He felt something in his knee and started to feel some pain after the game – we are assessing him, but [it’s] a big worry with him. He’s going to be out for weeks.”
Jorginho
He was only taken off against Burnley, due to precaution. The midfielder suffered some nasty scrapes and bruises, as he endured a very physical afternoon. Hey, football is a rough game! He should be fine.
Thomas Partey and Jurrien Timber
No new updates here to really speak of, regarding the two longer-term injury absentees. Partey (thigh muscle injury) is out for the rest of the calendar year while Timber (ACL) is out for the season.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
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