1 hour ago
25
Arsenal were dealt a double injury concern in the disappointing draw away to Wolves with fitness worries heightened before the derby against Tottenham
Mikel Arteta has been handed two potential injury worries as Arsenal dropped vital points in the Premier League title race. The Gunners were two goals up at Molineux through Bukayo Saka and Piero Hincapie, but second-half strikes from Hugo Bueno and Tom Edozie saw the hosts snatch a point.
Arsenal were in front for exactly 89 minutes with Saka on target very early into proceedings. On his first league start in nearly one month, however, the 24-year-old was forced off and replaced by Leandro Trossard.
The latter was also substituted because of an issue with Riccardo Calafiori coming on in his place. The Italy international narrowly missed blocking Edozie's last-gasp effort on the line after Bueno curled home brilliantly just moments after Hincapie had doubled the Gunners' lead.
Having dropped points in the title race, Sunday's North London Derby at Tottenham is a must-win, but Arteta may be forced to navigate that clash without up to four key attackers.
FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page
With all of that being said, football.london has rounded up the latest updates on Arsenal's injured stars after a double concern emerged on Wednesday evening.
Bukayo Saka
Saka required treatment in the second half of the draw against Wolves and was subsequently replaced by Leandro Trossard. Given the importance of this weekend's North London Derby, assuming no major issue was suffered, Saka is likely to be fit and available.
Arteta was not asked about Saka in his post-match press conference, but the attacker did conduct a post-match interview so it would seem like there was no lasting damage.
Possible return date: Tottenham (A) - Sunday, February 22.
Leandro Trossard
Following a collision with the shoulder of Santiago Bueno, Arsenal used a concussion substitute to bring Trossard off just 17 minutes after he came on.
If the Belgian has indeed suffered a concussion, he will be forced to serve protocols that will see him miss the trip to Spurs. Arteta was not asked about Trossard in his post-match press conference.
Possible return date: Chelsea (H) - Sunday, March 1
Martin Odegaard
Odegaard was absent from the matchday squad against Wolves due to a knee issue picked up last week in the 1-1 draw with Brentford. He is however, expected back for the North London Derby.
What Arteta has said: "No, for Wolves, he is not going to be fit. But for Sunday, we are very hopeful that he can be with us."
Possible return date: Tottenham (A) - Sunday, February 22.
Kai Havertz
Havertz is another Arsenal star pushing to be fit for the trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Having suffered a muscular issue, it is more likely he returns to face former club Chelsea the following weekend.
What Arteta has said: "Kai is the other one, again for the weekend; he is a possibility."
Possible return date: Chelsea (H) - Sunday, March 1
Mikel Merino
Following surgery on his foot, Merino is set to miss several months, but there is hope he can be back before the end of the season.
What Arteta has said: "Well, I think the doctors were really happy the way it went. Yeah, now it starts. Obviously, it's a long process. You're talking about bone healing, so you need to be patient.
"You respect the timings, and I'm sure Mikel is going to do everything that he possibly can to speed up the process. We're talking about months, whether it's three, four or five, we don't know."
Possible return date: April/May
Ensure our latest sport headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings
Max Dowman
Dowman is getting closer to returning to first-team training after missing the last few months.
What Arteta has said: "Max is still not available. The rest, we will see when we make the medical meeting. He's doing very well. I think he will be with us in a week or so, and then he just needs to pick up the rhythm and be available for us."
Possible return date: Mansfield Town (A) - Saturday, March 7.
English (US) ·