Triple Arsenal injury update hands Mikel Arteta nightmare Bournemouth scenario

Arsenal could be without three of their main attacking players for their clash at Bournemouth at the weekend.

Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli have all picked up injuries in one way or another since the Gunners’ last outing against Southampton on October 5. Havertz played the full 90 minutes against the Saints and scored his sixth goal of the season in the 3-1 comeback victory.

It was a surprise, then, when the 25-year-old pulled out of the Germany squad for their Nations League fixtures due to a knee injury. The German Football Association said last Sunday: “Kai Havertz will miss the upcoming international matches against Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Netherlands due to knee problems. Get well soon, Kai!”

GOAL journalist Charles Watts reported at the time that there is no major concern surrounding Havertz and given how much football he has played, it was believed the best course of action was for him to stay with Arsenal over the international break and subsequently take no risks. The extent of the injury is not yet known, however, and it’s unclear at this stage if Havertz will be fit enough to make the squad for the trip to Bournemouth on Saturday.

The same can be said for Saka, who picked up an injury while playing for England in the Nations League defeat to Greece last Thursday. The 23-year-old was taken off in the second half after appearing to pick up an injury to his right leg and has returned to the Gunners where he will be assessed by medical staff.

Many feared Saka had sustained a hamstring injury but Lee Carsley has suggested the Hale Ender’s knock is not that serious. As reported by the Mirror, the England medical staff believe Saka might have made the Finland game on Sunday but, having played just days earlier, they did not want to take a gamble on his fitness so he did not even travel to Finland with the rest of the squad.

Carsley added: “Bukayo would have been close but it would have been unfair to take a risk with him. He’s a positive person and I expect him to be fine.”

With concerns about Saka and Havertz, Arteta would not have been pleased when news of an injury to Martinelli emerged on Monday morning. The 23-year-old came on as a substitute against Chile in the 2-1 win on Friday but looks set to miss out on Brazil’s match with Peru due to a calf problem.

A statement released by the CBF reads: “Gabriel Martinelli complained of pain in his right calf and underwent an MRI on Sunday night which showed a small area of muscle edema in the area. The player continues to undergo physiotherapy treatment under the care of the Brazilian National Team’s Medical Department.”

The severity of Martinelli’s injury is not yet known but it is certainly not good news for everyone associated with Arsenal. With Saka and Havertz already at the club and being looked after by Gunners medical staff, it may well be that Martinelli joins the duo in the coming days.

Of course, Arsenal are already without Martin Odegaard and Kieran Tierney, while there are also concerns regarding the fitness of Oleksandr Zinchenko, Ben White, Jurrien Timber and Thomas Partey. The injury situation at Arsenal is likely to become much clearer in the coming days, with Arteta expected to provide the latest during his pre-match press conference on Friday.