At a Glance:
- Eberechi Eze will miss 4-6 weeks of action with a calf issue.
- Midfielder had scans after Carabao Cup final to determine extent of injury.
- Martin Odegaard remains in recovery following his knee problem.
Arsenal midfielder Eberechi Eze is expected to be out for four to six weeks after sustaining a calf injury last week against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League.
The former Crystal Palace man went down clutching his leg in the second half against the German side and was replaced by Kai Havertz. After announcing to a live audience on TNT Sports following the European clash that he was unscathed, Eze then missed out on the Gunners’ Carabao Cup final against Manchester City on Sunday.
Mikel Arteta confirmed last week that Eze would have a scan to determine the damage done to his calf, and the results have now come in. According to Sami Mokbel of BBC Sport, sources have indicated that the attacking midfielder faces over a month on the sidelines.
This is a significant blow for Arsenal, given their aspirations of lifting the Premier League title, the Champions League and the FA Cup in the run-in. It’s exacerbated by the uncertainty around Martin Odegaard, who continues to fight his way back from a knee problem.
Which matches will Eberechi Eze miss for Arsenal?
If the worst-case scenario ensues, Eze will miss a huge chunk of Arsenal’s run-in. The season concludes in two months, and he could miss six weeks.
If he is indeed out for six weeks, then his prospective return date is April 28th, given the Leverkusen encounter took place on March 17th. This would see him miss Arsenal’s FA Cup quarter-final against Southampton in under two weeks’ time.
Eze would then be absent for both legs of the Sporting Champions League quarter-final tie, as well as a pivotal league match at home to Bournemouth. He’d also miss the title showdown with Manchester City at the Etihad, as well as a clash with Newcastle United and a prospective FA Cup semi-final tie.
This April 28th return date coincides with when a potential first leg of a Champions League semi-final tie would take place.
Every match Eberechi Eze could miss (in worst case scenario):
- Southampton (A) – FA Cup Quarter-Final
- Sporting (A) – Champions League Quarter-Final
- Bournemouth (H) – Premier League
- Sporting (H) – Champions League Quarter-Final
- Manchester City (A) – Premier League
- Newcastle (H) – Premier League
- (TBC) FA Cup Semi-Final
- (TBC) Champions League Semi-Final first leg
If the injury is on the less severe side based on Mokbel’s report, then he could be in line for a return against City at the Etihad, and he may even be in contention to feature in the second leg against Sporting.
How far is Martin Odegaard from a return?
The promising news for Arteta is that he’s unlikely to be without a senior creative midfielder for all this time. Odegaard has pulled out of Norway’s squad for this international break in order to focus on his rehabilitation.
The playmaker hasn’t featured for the Gunners since their 4-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur back in February. According to various reports, he’s fighting tooth and nail to make an imminent return.
In fact, the Arsenal captain could even be ready in time to play against Southampton at St. Mary’s immediately after the international break. That said, it remains to be seen what physical shape he’ll be in after such a stop-start season.
It’s possible that this number ten injury uncertainty creates a pathway to more regular minutes for the exciting Max Dowman, who made a major impact off the bench against Everton last week.
