Arsenal are set to be without a 'gifted' player for their all-important North London Derby clash against Tottenham this weekend.
Arsenal play Igor Tudor's Tottenham after Wolves collapse
It was a night that summed up Arsenal's season in a nutshell.
Martinelli misses a header from an Arsenal corner vs Wolves
Mikel Arteta's side travelled to Molineux on Wednesday and led 2-0 against the bottom club, only to be pegged back to a 2-2 draw when Tom Edozie struck in stoppage time.
The title race tightened, the frustration spilled over — and to make matters worse, the Gunners limped away with fresh concerns heading into Sunday's derby at Spurs.
The timing could not be worse.
Arsenal face their fiercest rivals this weekend in a fixture that could define their season, and they now face an anxious wait on Leandro Trossard.
gyokeres-arsenal (2)-1 Related
Arteta must bench 4/10 Arsenal star who was as bad as Gyokeres vs Wolves
Arsenal's Premier League ambitions took a huge blow against Wolverhampton Wanderers last night.
The Belgian came off the bench on Wednesday night to replace Bukayo Saka, who had limped away with what appeared to be a knee issue, but Trossard himself was then caught in a collision with Wolves defender Santiago Bueno and had to be helped from the field.
He was replaced by Riccardo Calafiori, who had the misfortune of being on the pitch when the equaliser went in.
Saka, at least, is understood to have come through his scare without serious damage.
The England international fulfilled his media duties after the game, and reports suggest he should be in contention for Sunday. Trossard, however, is a doubt, with no immediate update on the extent of the knock.
Gyokeres-Trossard-Arsenal
It all paints a complicated picture for Arteta as he prepares for the biggest game of the campaign so far, and news on one of their brightest talents has done little to ease the mood.
Max Dowman to miss Tottenham clash despite return to Arsenal training
Max Dowman was spotted back in training after months out with ankle ligament damage, which is fantastic news in itself, but Dowman is still likely to miss Tottenham.
Arsenal-Dowman-Arteta
As relayed by football.london, who shared news of Dowman's training return, their crunch NLD clash could be too soon for Dowman to make his comeback.
Arteta confirmed earlier this week that the Englishman would need more time to get back up to speed, meaning he's poised to miss out on a place in the squad against Igor Tudor's side.
"Max is still not available," the Spaniard said.
"We will see when we have the medical meeting. He's progressing very well. I believe he will join us in about a week or so, and then he just needs to regain his rhythm and be ready for selection."
Dowman has been one of the stories of the Gunners' season — a 'gifted' 16-year-old who had already made five senior appearances across the Premier League, Champions League and Carabao Cup before his ankle gave way in December.
He became the club's youngest-ever starter in the EFL Cup win over Brighton, and the youngest player ever to appear for them in the Champions League. His return has been eagerly anticipated, but Sunday will still be too soon.
Premier League's youngest ever players Age Club
Ethan Nwaneri 15 years, 181 days Arsenal
Max Dowman 15 years, 235 days Arsenal
Jeremy Monga 15 years, 271 days Leicester City
Harvey Elliott 16 years, 30 days Fulham
Matthew Briggs 16 years, 68 days Fulham
With Merino out for the foreseeable following foot surgery, the loss of Trossard — even temporarily — would stretch Arteta's attacking options to the limit.
The Belgian has contributed five goals and five assists in the Premier League this season and is not the kind of player you can easily replace.
Dowman's return, at least, appears to be coming fast.
In better news for Arsenal, it is believed that both captain Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz are racing to be fit for the weekend.
Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli celebrates scoring their second goal with Christian Norgaard and Bukayo Saka Related
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