Arsenal fans have largely accepted that Declan Rice will miss their Premier League clash against Tottenham after the international break.
However, there may be more concerns about the availability of other key players by the time of the fixture.
This match is crucial for Arsenal, who need to keep pace with Manchester City in the race for the Premier League title. With City remaining unbeaten and leading the table, dropping more points could be detrimental, especially if City continues to win.
During the international break, Arsenal has closely monitored their players’ fitness, and the situation does not look promising.
Football London reports that, besides Rice, Arsenal is already missing Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney, both of whom are long-term injury absentees.
Gabriel Jesus is confirmed as an absentee, and Riccardo Calafiori’s fitness is now in doubt after leaving the Italy camp due to injury concerns.
Jurrien Timber, who suffered a knock in the game against Brighton, could be another potential absentee for the Spurs fixture.
Just Arsenal Opinion
Injuries are a part of the game, but hopefully, we will not lose too many players to fitness problems before the game.
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Many of those named aren’t surprises though: Rice (red card), Tierney, Tomiyasu, Jesus, Merino and, possibly, Timber (injuries). The only likely absentee for the Sp*rs game that wasn’t foreseen until very recently is Calafiori.
Of course, that doesn’t make the overall position any better I admit but it’s not as though it was a full squad pick one moment and suddenly Arteta may need to get his boots on again the next.
Arteta will obviously need to reshuffle his “pack”. There is no alternative to going with what we have available though so let’s hope he can make the best of it.
As a separate but connected issue, I think Arsenal needs to look closely now at players such as Tierney, Tomiyasu and Jesus. They are all injury-prone yet take up three squad places. They also cost a reported £485k a week in wages between them. Can Arsenal really afford – in every sense – to retain players who very probably aren’t going to improve their overall injury records now? How to offload them is the question though.
I’m reminded of the quality over quantity debate recently on JA.
I do believe Tierney is back in training by the way.
I would guess most if not all still feel the same way about it.
The Arsenal.com site lists 22 first team squad members. It doesn’t include U21s etc who might also be used and since some went on the pre-season tour, presumably they’d be good replacements.
What would you do differently Ken? Offer Elneny and Cedric extensions? Bring Lokonga back from loan on a “just in case” basis? Or just buy some randoms as filler (and pay their wages of course, potentially for a number of years)?
In the context that City started last season with a squad of 19 and didnt do too badly…
Timber removal in last game was a precaution he was in Netherland training last weekend. Calafiori too was a precaution they will be both available on Sunday Italian coach already doused any fear of serious injury.