Mikel Arteta hopes that Arsenal’s list of injury doubts will decrease significantly before their Premier League clash against Bournemouth. Arsenal have had a strong start to the season, remaining unbeaten in both the Premier League and other competitions. However, they face challenging matches soon against Liverpool, Chelsea, and Inter. Currently, the primary concern is Bukayo Saka, who is recovering from a hamstring injury acquired during an international match with England.
Mikel Arteta said, “It’s not a serious injury, and he’s evolving well. He was probably good enough to play with the national team second game. We have some big tests today [on Friday] so we are hopeful.”
Arteta expressed optimism regarding the return of various players, including Ben White, Jurrien Timber, and Oleksandr Zinchenko, all of whom missed the victory over Southampton earlier in the month.
Mikel Arteta said, “They are quite close the three of them. Today we’ll have to push. Gabi landed yesterday [Thursday] afternoon and he went outside for a bit, to see how he’s feeling. If he trains well today he has a good chance to be fit and available.”
Regarding Kai Havertz, who is also recovering from an ankle injury, Arteta must make a significant decision due to Havertz’s importance and the upcoming matches.
Mikel Arteta said, “He’s not going to be fit for this game [with Bournemouth]. Next week will be a different story. In that later stage of his rehab, where he is at the moment because he’s already doing a lot of stuff already, he needs to clear some markers. Next week will be crucial to understanding how close he is.”
Arteta is also hopeful about Martin Odegaard’s return before the November international break, while Kieran Tierney remains without a specific return date as he recovers from a severe hamstring injury.
