Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has confirmed that three key players will be unavailable for their UEFA Champions League match against Club Brugge on Wednesday.
The Gunners are the only side with a 100% record in the competition, winning all five of their games. However, their fitness concerns have persisted this season, as several first-team players are currently on the sidelines.
In the build-up to the match against Brugge, Declan Rice, William Saliba, and Leandro Trossard were notably absent from training sessions, and Arteta has now provided an update on the trio.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Arteta confirmed that Rice, Saliba, and Trossard will all miss the showdown with Club Brugge through illness and injury. He told reporters:
“No, so Declan was ill. He was quite sick after the game, and he hasn’t travelled with us. William is still not available, and Leo again picked another knock in an area where he had the issue, and I don't expect that it's going to be long, but unfortunately, he cannot be here.”
Rice was a doubt for the clash against Aston Villa. However, he played the full 90 minutes of the 2-1 loss. Saliba has been out of action since last month after suffering a knock in training before Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with 10-man Chelsea. Trossard is struggling with the calf problem he picked up two weeks ago against Bayern Munich. The Belgian missed subsequent games against Chelsea and Brentford but played as a substitute against Villa.
Arteta confirms injury to Arsenal youngster; replaces him with another player in UCL squad
Elsewhere, Arsenal have been handed a blow with Max Dowman injuring his ankle while in action for the club’s U-21 side on Saturday in a friendly against Manchester United. He has since undergone scans, and Arteta has confirmed that he is set for a spell on the sidelines.
After picking up an injury, Dowman was replaced by Gabriel Jesus in Arsenal’s UEFA A list with immediate effect. This means the latter is eligible to feature against Brugge tonight.
“So first of all, unfortunately, Max [Dowman] picked up an injury last weekend and had to come off,” Arteta said. “So he did some scans and he is going to be out for weeks and then we have the situation of Gabi [Jesus], who we were expecting to be training with us by the end of December. Gabi has been pushing every single day and he kept telling everybody 'I am going to be earlier, earlier, earlier' and he has done it.
“So thanks to his work and all the work that the medical staff have done in all these months, and we had the possibility to make a swap there and we have done it. Yes, on one side, you see Max and the situation and on the other, you see the joy and how happy Gabi is to be back in the Champions League.”
Arteta further revealed that Dowman would be out for weeks with his ankle issues, although he downplayed concerns over any serious problem.