Arsenal prepare to take on Chelsea this Sunday at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League. Manager Mikel Arteta has delivered a mixed bag of player availability and injury update for Gunners. This includes potentially concerning development for Belgian international Leandro Trossard. On Wednesday night in his club’s UEFA Champions League victory against Bayern Munich, Trossard left the contest with some type of injury after just 45 minutes played, leading Arteta to say of Trossard’s status, “With Leo, we still don’t know what happened specifically. He said he felt funny and we certainly didn’t want him to be any sicker. Having scored this past weekend’s North London derby winner against Spurs, Trossard’s availability at Brighton next weekend will now come down to tests between now and then.
Positive Returns Bolster Squad Options
While the update of a new injury is concerning for Gunners, it is not all negative news. Team leader Martin Ødegaard played the last nine minutes of the Bayern match after returning from his knee injury. Additionally, forward Gabriels Martinelli and Noni Madueke returned to the squad and made a strong impact in recent matches. Both players scored against Bayern, with Madueke replacing the injured Trossard and then scoring. Their returns provide Arteta with valuable options in the forward line.
Gyokeres and Havertz Facing Late Fitness Tests
The availability of two key attackers remains in question. Striker Viktor Gyokeres and forward Kai Havertz are both pushing to be involved against Chelsea. Arteta revealed that “in the next few days, they’re going to have a repeat scan to see how everything is and where we can push them for the weekend”. There is optimism that Gyokeres, who has missed less time than Havertz, has a stronger chance of making his comeback in this fixture.
Confirmed Absentees for London Derby
Gabriel Magalhães will be out for a long period with groin dysfunction suffered on International Duty. Gabriel Jesus continues his comeback trail post assistant cruciate ligament (ACL) surgeries. The plan is to give him minutes in a friendly setting prior to allowing his return to training with the team, prior to being eligible for first-team selection.
As featured on GoonerNews.com
