At this moment, Arsenal have lost some of their key players, and it includes their captain Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, and Dutch defender Jurrien Timber. So, the Spaniard has to think a way out from this problem. If he is not able to find a proper solution to this problem, then there will be no hope for silverwares.
According to Standard, Odegaard has suffered a knee injury while he was representing Norway in the international break. This is a major setback for Arsenal. Previously, we saw that Riccardo Calafiori also picked up a calf muscle injury at the international break.
On the other hand, both Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber missed the training because of their minor injury problems. It is expected that soon they will make a return to the first-team squad.
Arsenal and injuries
In the game against Bournemouth, Raheem Sterling played in place of Bukayo Saka. The young English winger is not only a world-class attacker but also helps his team in defending. In a recent interview, Ben White said that Saka always falls back to defend on the right flank, and he never White in a 1 vs. 1 situation. This is a rare thing in modern day football. Not all the attackers are willing to defend for their team.
On the other hand, Martin Odegaard is the heart of Arsenal. He is the one who brings creativity in the final third by making visionary passes and long diagonals. Without his magic, Arsenal are nothing in the middle of the pitch. Although Mikel Merino has returned from his shoulder injury, the Spaniard didn’t make any impact in his debut at the Vitality Stadium. On top of that, he missed a golden opportunity in front of the goal.
There are other injury issues at the club. In a Premier League match against Southampton, when the German forward scored a header, he collided with Aaron Ramsdale. Thus, he picked up an injury in his knees. After the match, Mikel Arteta has provided some updates about his injury. It is being said that Arsenal will confirm the severity of the injury after doing all the scans.
So, these procedures will take a lot of time. In the meantime, the international break will be over. Germany will be playing Bosnia and Herzegovina in a friendly match. In the absence of Kai Havertz, it is expected that Niklas Fullkrug will be starting for Die Maanschaft. Although he has proven his goalscoring abilities in Euro 2024, we can’t deny Kai’s presence.
Current situation
At this moment, Mikel Arteta has a lot to think about the injuries. On the other hand, the squad is getting weaker with this problem. On top of that, the red cards are troubling the Gunners a lot. In the last game, William Saliba got a red card. He was the most important Arsenal player. Now he will be suspended for the upcoming match. This is a major loss for the backline.
This season, Arsenal have got three red cards that suspended Declan Rice, Leandro Trossard, and William Saliba. All of these indicate that Arsenal are having the most difficult time of their season. From defense to attack, every part of the pitch has some issues. Arteta must solve these problems before it’s too late.
Although they have a lot of talented players on the bench, it is always difficult to match the same intensity with backup players. Jakub Kiwior and Gabriel Jesus might replace William Saliba and Kai Havertz, respectively. On the right flank, former Chelsea man Raheem Sterling will manage the situation with his vast experience.
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