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Mikel Arteta's list of injured players are getting closer to returning to the Arsenal squad amid the Premier League title battle with Manchester City
Wayne Rooney believes the return of Arsenal’s injured players could actually cause Mikel Arteta 'problems' as the Gunners’ lead at the top of the Premier League was shortened over the weekend.
Arsenal were missing six key players for their game against Sunderland on Saturday. These included star striker Viktor Gyokeres, Gabriel Martinelli, Noni Madueke, Kai Havertz, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus.
The majority of these players, bar Havertz and Jesus who are dealing with longer-term injuries, are expected to return around late November. Arteta has said himself he hopes some of them will be available, though it’s unlikely all will return at once.
Arsenal fans will be pleased to see some of their stars back with the Premier League title race heating up early on. However, former Manchester United striker Rooney believes it could pose issues for Arteta.
He said on The Overlap Fan Debate: “That can cause problems, similar to Liverpool when they sign too many players and you have got players who are getting left on the bench who normally would be playing, that can cause problems as well in the dressing room.
“I don’t think it’s always a good thing to have everyone; if you have such a good squad, it’s actually sometimes probably quite refreshing for the manager to have them out.”
A prime example, as Rooney alludes to, is Alexander Isak at Liverpool. The £125m striker was Newcastle’s star player before joining Liverpool.
Admittedly, the Swedish international has endured fitness issues this season, but Isak likely wouldn’t have joined the Reds with the expectation of sitting on the bench for the entirety of Liverpool’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester City.
Arteta started a strong team against Sunderland, but when the likes of Gyokeres and Odegaard return, some well-performing players like Mikel Merino and Leandro Trossard will likely find themselves back on the bench.
Although the Arsenal boss won’t want his £64m striker sidelined with a strain injury, it allows Arteta to rotate his team without upsetting his key players. Despite this, Arteta will undoubtedly want Gyokeres fit for the club’s first Premier League game after the international break - the North London Derby.
In fact, the Gunners’ run of fixtures after the break will pose a serious test for the squad. After Tottenham, they face Bayern Munich in the Champions League, followed by another London clash against Chelsea. Tough-to-beat Brentford are next, with a trip to a revived Villa Park to follow.
Manchester City, meanwhile, have an easier return to Premier League action. They travel to struggling Newcastle before facing Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League.
Matches against Leeds and Fulham follow, with Sunderland likely posing their biggest challenge of the lot in early December.
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