Mikel Arteta Reveals Quadruple Arsenal Injury Boost Ahead Of Leicester Clash

Mikel Arteta Reveals Quadruple Arsenal Injury Boost Ahead Of Leicester Clash

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has provided a mostly positive update on his squad’s injury situation ahead of Saturday’s Premier League match against Leicester City.

The Gunners head into the fixture following a 5-1 victory over Bolton Wanderers in the EFL Cup third round, where two-goal Ethan Nwaneri was one of four teenagers to start.

Arteta had to rely on academy players due to Arsenal’s ongoing injury issues, with 16-year-old goalkeeper Jack Porter becoming the youngest player to start a competitive match for the club.

Porter’s debut came as a result of injuries to David Raya and Tommy Setford, along with Neto being ineligible. While Neto could potentially debut against Leicester, Arteta remained cautious regarding Raya’s fitness.

“We have to wait 24 hours to see if he’s in good shape or not,” Arteta said in Friday’s pre-game press conference. “It’s not about risk, it’s about whether a player is fit and available or not. We’ll make the decision tomorrow.”

Arteta provides positive updates on Ben White and Jurrien Timber.

Arteta had encouraging news regarding defenders Ben White and Jurrien Timber, both of whom missed the EFL Cup win over Bolton due to minor injuries but are expected to return for Saturday’s match against Leicester City.

White was benched in last weekend’s game against Manchester City but came on in the second half with Arsenal down to 10 men. Timber picked up a knock in the same game and missed Wednesday’s fixture.

Arteta expressed confidence that both players would be available, saying, “Jurrien took part in training today, so he will be in the squad, and Ben, hopefully, as well.”

With Leandro Trossard also back from suspension, Arsenal will be without five key players for the Leicester clash: Martin Odegaard (ankle), Mikel Merino (shoulder), Oleksandr Zinchenko (calf), Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee), and Kieran Tierney (hamstring).

Merino’s debut has been delayed due to a freak training injury where Gabriel Magalhaes accidentally fractured his shoulder. Initially, it seemed unlikely he would play before the October international break.

Could Merino make his debut against Southampton?

However, while Arteta confirmed that Merino would miss the Leicester match and likely the Paris Saint-Germain clash next week, he did not rule him out for the October 5 game against Southampton.

“Tomorrow is too soon, but next week we’ll see. He had partial training today, has worked very hard, and looked really good. It’s just about how the bone heals and when it’s safe for contact,” Arteta said.

In addition to Merino’s progress, Arteta revealed that Takehiro Tomiyasu, who hasn’t played this season, is also back in partial training. However, it will take a bit more time before he’s considered match-fit. “He’s a little behind Mikel [Merino], but he pushes himself every day,” Arteta added.

Arsenal, sitting fourth in the Premier League, prepare for Leicester’s visit, where Bukayo Saka could set a unique Premier League record.