Raya, White, Merino – Arsenal injury news and return dates before Leicester clash
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta will be hoping David Raya and Ben White are available for selection to face Leicester City this afternoon. The Gunners head into the Premier League clash at Emirates Stadium in search of another victory having drawn two of their last three games in all competitions.
It must be mentioned though that the stalemates came away to Atalanta in the Champions League and Manchester City, with a 5-1 win over Bolton in the Carabao Cup following those results. Arteta had a number of key players absent for that midweek game but both Neto and Leandro Trossard are guaranteed to return on Saturday.
There is however, still doubt surrounding both White and Raya, though Jurrien Timber is expected to be available. The Arsenal boss has also provided fresh updates regarding those already on the injury list with a return date and debut seemingly in sight for Mikel Merino.
The Arsenal skipper missed the North London derby victory due to an ankle injury sustained during the international break. His return date remains uncertain.
As expected, he did not participate in training before the Atalanta match either and was absent from the game. Odegaard was also unsurprisingly missing from the squad that travelled to Manchester
Arteta has provided an update on the injury on Friday: “After recent scans the scans showed that he’s got some damage especially on one of the ligaments in the ankle. We’re gonna miss him.
When pressed for a possible timeline, Arteta was cautious, saying, “After recent scans the scans showed that he’s got some damage especially on one of the ligaments in the ankle. We’re gonna miss him.”
“When pressed for a timeline he added, “I don’t want to do that because I’m not a doctor. But it’s something quite significant so we’re going to lose him for a while.”
Possible return date: Late October.
Jurrien Timber
Though he went down with an injury against Man City and also missed the game against Bolton, Timber will be back in the matchday squad, as per Arteta.
“Jurrien [Timber] was able to take part in training today, that’s good news, so he’ll be available in the squad,” the Arsenal boss said.
Possible return date: Leicester City (H) – September 28.
Oleksandr Zinchenko
Injury: Calf.
Sidelined due to an injury sustained during the international break which kept him out of the North London Derby and subsequent matches. He has not returned to training yet.
Possible return date: Unknown.
Takehiro Tomiyasu
Injury: Knee.
The Japanese defender is out of action again after a previous season marred by injuries, with no appearances so far this term. Regarding the player’s potential return, Arteta has commented: “At the moment, it is difficult to say [when he will return].
“It’s a bit slow the process of the first phase of that injury. It’s probably for the medical team to say more than that. He’s not done any training yet.”
Possible return date: Leicester City (H) – September 28.
Kieran Tierney
Injury: Hamstring
Initially expected to be leaving Arsenal, Kieran Tierney then endured a hamstring setback while playing at the Euros with Scotland. Despite these challenges, he was named in Arsenal’s 25-man Premier League team earlier in the month but hasn’t returned to training as yet.
Arteta has expressed his thoughts: “He needs to focus now on recovering in the best possible way. It’s been a tough time for him, with the last injury. We have to try to support him and make sure he comes back fit.”
Possible return date: Unknown.
