Arsenal Face A Major Setback Ahead Of Their Champions League Opener Against Athletic Club In Bilbao As Defender Ben White Joins The Growing List Of Absentees.
White, Who Featured In The Opening Game Of The Premier League Season Against Manchester United, Has Struggled With A Knock That Kept Him Out Of The Gunners’ Last Two Matches. Though He Was Fit Enough To Make The Bench In Arsenal’s Comfortable 3–0 Win Over Nottingham Forest, He Did Not Travel With The Squad To Spain.
Manager Mikel Arteta Confirmed That White Is Not The Only Casualty. Star Midfielder Martin Ødegaard And Forward Bukayo Saka, Both Of Whom Missed Training On Monday, Have Also Been Ruled Out. Meanwhile, Long-Term Absentees Kai Havertz And Gabriel Jesus Continue Their Rehabilitation, Taking The Injury List Up To Five Key Players.
Arteta Provided Updates On His Key Stars During His Pre-Match Press Conference:
On Ødegaard: The Arsenal Captain Is Sidelined With A Recurrence Of A Shoulder Problem But Will Avoid Surgery.
On Saka: The England International Damaged His Hamstring Last Month. Arteta Revealed, “It’s Very Early To Understand When He’s Going To Be Available. But He Will Certainly Be Pushing To Return As Quickly As Possible.”
There Was Some Encouraging News For Arsenal Fans, As William Saliba And Christian Nørgaard Have Returned To Training And Could Feature In Bilbao.
The Injury Crisis Has Forced Arsenal’s Summer Recruits Into Prominent Roles Earlier Than Expected. Viktor Gyökeres And Martín Zubimendi Were Always Expected To Feature Heavily, But The Gunners’ Depth Is Already Being Tested.
Noni Madueke, Signed To Add Attacking Depth, Looks Set To Make His Champions League Debut On Tuesday. Despite Featuring In UEFA Qualifiers For PSV Eindhoven In 2021, He Has Never Played In The Group Stages Of The Competition. Meanwhile, Cristhian Mosquera Is Likely To See More Minutes As Arsenal Navigate This Period Of Key Absences.
Arsenal’s Campaign In Europe’s Elite Competition Begins Under A Cloud Of Injuries, But Their Squad Depth Will Be Tested Against Athletic Club. Fans Will Be Hoping That Rising Stars Like Madueke Can Seize The Opportunity To Shine On The Biggest Stage.
Author: Abdul Noah Ocholi | Sports Market International
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