Arsenal came out on top in their match against Liverpool. Mikel Arteta admitted they have a new injury concern to deal with after Eberechi Eze was hurt. Bukayo Saka is also still out for the Gunners as they face two more games before the break.
The 1-0 victory over Liverpool at Anfield means they are three points clear at the top of the Premier League. Arteta will need to be careful with his squad ahead of their Champions League clash against Slavia Prague on Wednesday and home game against Hull City.
Eze was a surprise omission from the starting line-up, despite featuring well in recent games.
Arteta later revealed that the England international was suffering from a problem going into the game. He also praised the club’s medical and performance team for getting him fit enough to be included in the travelling party.
Eze fitness concern leaves Arteta waiting on assessment
There is some light at the end of the tunnel, with Eze being named on the bench. There is uncertainty over whether he will be available for the trip to Prague.
Arsenal will look to train him to see if he can play against Slavia. However, Arteta’s comments suggest that the issue is significant enough that he couldn’t start against Anfield despite his recent form.
There is positive news on Declan Rice, Noni Madueke and Riccardo Calafiori. All three were able to overcome their fitness concerns to start the game against Liverpool and play the full 90 minutes.
The availability of these players provides Arteta with more options as he heads into a busy week. However, he will be keen to avoid any unnecessary risk to those that have only just returned to full fitness.
Saka faces further checks as Arsenal wait for clarity
Saka is still the biggest injury concern for Arsenal as he has failed to play for the last three games after suffering a quad injury in the clash against Bayern Munich.
He was forced off after just 10 minutes of the Champions League draw. He will not be available for the fixtures against Slavia Prague and Hull.
There were concerns that Saka may miss up to eight weeks of action. Arteta hasn’t confirmed when he will be back on the pitch.
The Arsenal manager explained earlier that there was a need to scan Saka again to see how the fluid around the injury was behaving. The medical staff will also want to know if there has been any damage to the tendon.
This will give clearer information on when he will be able to return to play. Until then Arsenal will have to plan without one of their most important attacking players.
Saliba makes progress in recovery from back injury
Another player looking to make his way back to fitness is William Saliba. The defender has not played this season after aggravating a back issue during his time playing for France at the World Cup.
However, he has avoided surgery and has been back in individual outdoor training at the club’s training ground recently. Arteta says there are positive signs that his recovery is going well.
The club plan for an MRI scan to see how he is recovering. They are hoping to get him back in December, but it has not been confirmed by Arsenal.
It would give Arteta a huge boost to his defensive options. For now he will have to keep monitoring his recovery.
They play Slavia Prague on Wednesday and then play Hull at home on Saturday. This gives them two more chances to build up their position ahead of the international break; however, Arteta will have to consider the latest medical reports.
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