Arsenal injury update: Latest news on Declan Rice, William Saliba, and Jurrien Timber, including return dates.<\/p>\n
Gunners facing a selection crisis as they approach a critical phase in the title race.<\/p>\n
Arsenal is grappling with several significant injury issues as they enter a vital few weeks in the Premier League title competition.<\/p>\n
Jurrien Timber has become the most recent player to be sidelined, having missed Wednesday\u2019s Champions League victory over Club Brugge. During that match, Christian Norgaard had to step in as an emergency centre-back due to William Saliba\u2019s unavailability, along with Gabriel and Cristhian Mosquera both being out.<\/p>\n
Declan Rice was also absent in Belgium due to illness, adding to the team\u2019s fitness concerns. Arsenal also lacked Leandro Trossard and Max Dowman but demonstrated the depth and strength of their squad with a solid 3-0 win.<\/p>\n
The Gunners are now refocusing on the Premier League, aiming to reignite their title challenge following last weekend\u2019s last-minute 2-1 loss to Aston Villa.<\/p>\n
That defeat has opened up the title race, and with Manchester City now trailing by just two points, Arsenal is facing a critical series of matches.<\/p>\n
They will host bottom-placed Wolves on Saturday evening, followed by an away match against Everton on December 20, and then a rearranged Carabao Cup quarter-final against Crystal Palace on December 23.<\/p>\n
Post-Christmas, Arsenal will have home fixtures against Brighton and Aston Villa, understanding that this stretch could be pivotal for their title aspirations. Here\u2019s the latest on Arsenal\u2019s injury situation and expected return dates ahead of the weekend.<\/p>\n
Declan Rice<\/p>\n
Rice raised alarms among Arsenal supporters when he was absent from an open training session at London Colney on Tuesday before the Club Brugge match.<\/p>\n
Mikel Arteta clarified that the midfielder, who had to leave the game against Brentford on December 3 due to a calf issue, did not sustain a new injury but was instead dealing with illness.<\/p>\n
\u201cDeclan was ill,\u201d Arteta stated on Tuesday. \u201cHe was quite sick after the [Villa] game, and he hasn\u2019t traveled with us.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe will have a few days to recuperate and get his body back in shape. However, even today, he was eager to play. Unfortunately, that\u2019s not possible for him right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
After a midweek break, Rice is aiming to make a comeback against Wolves, although Arteta was not revealing much about the England star\u2019s condition on Friday.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s assess his situation today,\u201d the Spaniard remarked. \u201cHe was unwell, which is an illness that typically resolves in a few days, but we need to wait and see.\u201d<\/p>\n
Expected return date: Saturday, December 13, vs Wolves (H)<\/p>\n
Jurrien Timber<\/p>\n
Timber was omitted from the squad for the match against Club Brugge as he became the latest Arsenal defender to suffer an injury.<\/p>\n
Arteta disclosed that both Timber and Riccardo Calafiori endured \u201cserious knocks\u201d during the match against Aston Villa last weekend.<\/p>\n
Calafiori, who is suspended for the Wolves match, was on the bench in Belgium, but Arteta indicated it was \u201ctoo soon\u201d for Timber.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey both faced challenges over the weekend, two significant knocks,\u201d Arteta stated. \u201cAnd for Jurrien, it was premature.\u201d<\/p>\n
In another update regarding Timber ahead of the Wolves match, Arteta mentioned: \u201cAgain, it depends on how he feels today.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe sustained a knock, and he wasn\u2019t feeling at ease. So, I believe it\u2019s just a matter of days, but whether it\u2019s tomorrow or not, we\u2019ll find out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Expected return date: Saturday, December 13, vs Wolves (H)<\/p>\n
William Saliba<\/p>\n
Saliba has been sidelined since he sustained an initially unclear injury during training just before the 1-1 draw against Chelsea at the end of November.<\/p>\n
Arteta mentioned twice last week that Saliba was only a few \u201cdays\u201d away from returning, but he missed the defeat against Villa and was also unprepared to face Club Brugge.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to wait and see,\u201d Arteta commented on Saliba on Friday, confirming that the issue originated from the ankle injury he sustained against Liverpool in August. \u201cYesterday we didn\u2019t train, so we have an additional day before this afternoon; let\u2019s see if he can be available or not.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt remains unchanged. If you inquired about the Everton match, I believe he will be ready; for tomorrow, I cannot say.\u201d<\/p>\n
Potential return date: Saturday, December 13, against Wolves (H) or Saturday, December 20, against Everton (A)<\/p>\n
Leandro Trossard<\/p>\n
Trossard was absent for the Club Brugge match due to a calf injury that has been bothering him in recent weeks.<\/p>\n
He first incurred the injury during the game against Bayern Munich last month and subsequently missed matches against Chelsea and Brentford.<\/p>\n
Trossard made his return as a substitute at Aston Villa, coming on at half-time and scoring quickly, but he was substituted again later in the match.<\/p>\n
The manager provided a familiar update on Trossard on Friday, stating: \u201cOnce again, this is a matter of days. It may sound repetitive, but it\u2019s the truth, so we are uncertain.\u201d<\/p>\n
Potential return date: Saturday, December 13, against Wolves (H) or Saturday, December 20, against Everton (A)<\/p>\n
Gabriel<\/p>\n
Arsenal has been without Gabriel since he sustained an adductor injury while representing Brazil a month ago.<\/p>\n
Initially, there were concerns that he might be sidelined until January, and Arteta lamented the loss of \u201cthe leader of our defense.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arteta\u2019s most recent update on Gabriel was provided at the beginning of the month, where he mentioned: \u201cBig Gabi is progressing well, but it will still be weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n
Potential return date: Late December\/January<\/p>\n
Cristhian Mosquera<\/p>\n
Mosquera has been ruled out until the New Year due to what Arteta referred to as a \u201ccomplicated\u201d ankle injury.<\/p>\n
No specific timeline has been given for his return, but reports suggest that Arsenal fears he could be out for six to eight weeks.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe will be unavailable for weeks, unfortunately; it\u2019s much longer than we anticipated,\u201d Arteta remarked. \u201cHowever, the player was experiencing discomfort, so he will be out for weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n
Potential return date: Unknown<\/p>\n
Max Dowman<\/p>\n
Dowman is expected to be sidelined for two months after suffering ankle ligament damage.<\/p>\n
The 15-year-old sustained the injury during a closed-door Under-21 friendly against Manchester United at St George\u2019s Park last weekend.<\/p>\n
Dowman is not anticipated to need surgery; however, Arsenal has confirmed that he has been removed from their Champions League roster and replaced by Gabriel Jesus.<\/p>\n
Arteta stated: \u201cWith Max, unfortunately, he sustained an injury last weekend and had to leave the field, so we conducted some scans, and he will be sidelined for several weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n
Expected return date: February<\/p>\n
Kai Havertz<\/p>\n
Havertz is still not prepared to make a comeback after experiencing a setback in his recovery from a knee injury incurred during the opening weekend of the season, which necessitated surgery.<\/p>\n
In his most recent update regarding Havertz at the beginning of the month, Arteta mentioned: \u201cA matter of weeks. Let\u2019s observe how it progresses in the upcoming weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n
Expected return date: Late December\/January<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Arsenal injury update: Latest news on Declan Rice, William Saliba, and Jurrien Timber, including return dates. \u00a0 Gunners facing a selection crisis as they approach a critical phase in the title race. \u00a0 Arsenal is grappling with several significant injury issues as they enter a vital few weeks in the Premier League title competition. \u00a0 [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":125576,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-125575","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-football"],"yoast_head":"\n