In Arsenal injury news, it looks as though Arsenal’s injury list is getting shorter. However, it’s not happening quickly enough to relieve Mikel Arteta’s selection headaches before Sunday’s trip to Nottingham Forest.
At his pre-match press conference, the Arsenal boss said Martin Zubimendi has been given a real chance of facing Forest after an ankle problem. Piero Hincapie is not expected to make the trip.
Both players picked up injuries during a training session at the Emirates. The session took place after last weekend’s 2-1 comeback win over Leeds. It was designed for players who had not played enough minutes.
Neither featured in the midweek Champions League win over Lille. Mikel Arteta described the injuries as “far from ideal” and “very unfortunate”.
Zubimendi has since recovered, showing that he is in much better form on the training field on Friday, said Arteta. He will be evaluated following a further session on Saturday ahead of a decision on his availability.
Hincapie is set to take longer to return to full fitness. The Ecuador defender is “evolving really well”, said his manager, but should require another week or two, he predicts.
Tzolis and Saliba still out
There are two key long-term absentees. Christos Tzolis picked up a muscle injury on international duty with Greece. However, a new MRI scan has shown he is making good progress and is looking to return within weeks, rather than months, Arteta believes.
William Saliba remains the big concern. He’s still out of contention after his World Cup-winning campaign with France ended prematurely due to a back injury. He is continuing to recover away from the first-team squad. Another scan is expected next week, with the manager describing every scan so far as positive.
The defender missed out on the squad photograph for Arsenal this week due to a medical. Arteta dismissed speculations of any dramas, claiming that Saliba knows he has the affection of the club. He added that there had been some banter over the incident.
The club has tried to take the picture on three occasions. Each time it has been cancelled at the eleventh hour. The commercial obligations meant that the photo had to happen without him. Arteta wants another opportunity to take it when all are present.
A good moment to play Forest
If the news is not all good, the fixture is still an optimistic one for Arsenal. The Gunners head into the game leading the all-time series, with four wins and two draws in the last six meetings, the latest in January being a 0-0 draw at the City Ground. Forest have been poor this season. Languishing in the Championship’s lower half, while Arsenal lie second in the table behind Manchester City.
Further encouragement comes in attack, where Bukayo Saka has recovered from illness to come on as a substitute against Lille and score and set up a goal. Arteta added that Arsenal’s attack has been flowing well.
Arteta is already thinking ahead to a possible Champions League clash with Bayern Munich but has stressed that Forest come first. Arsenal need to stay in touch with the leaders, and having Zubimendi back would add to their midfield options for a demanding run of fixtures.
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