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Arsenal welcome Chelsea this weekend | Getty Images
A look at the early injury news surrounding Arsenal and Chelsea ahead of Sunday’s London derby.
Arsenal and Chelsea are now preparing to face off in the latest London derby on Sunday. The Gunners come into this one having thrashed Tottenham in the North London derby last weekend, and they will be looking to keep a strong grip on top spot while asserting their capital dominance here.
Chelsea will have other ideas, though, and they need to bounce back from two underwhelming draws in their last two Premier League outings, leading to them slipping out of the top four. Here we round up the early injury news surrounding both teams heading into this one.
Jamie Bynoe-Gittens - Out
Rosenior has confirmed: “Jamie is looking a little bit more long-term. It's a real shame for him... he's got a tear in his hamstring. Too early to say [how long].”
Marc Cucurella - Out
Rosenior has said: “I can't give an exact timeframe on Marc. He suffered a hamstring injury just before half-time in the Leeds game. It's a real shame because he's an outstanding player and one of the best left-backs in the world.” Cucurella will be out for at least a couple of weeks.
Filip Jorgensen - Doubt
Jorgensen was expected back a couple of games ago but he is yet to appear on the bench. It’s unclear when he will be back.
Wesley Fofana - Out (Suspended)
Fofana will serve his one-game suspension here after being sent off last time out.
Romeo Lavia - Out
Lavia has been training for a couple of weeks and it’s unlikely he will be risked yet as he builds up match fitness.
Dario Essugo - Out
Essugo is not expected back until early March.
Levi Colwill - Out
Rosenior has said Colwill could be back before the season ends. He said: “Yes, he could [be back before the end of the season], but it’s step by step, and I don’t want to make promises that I can’t keep. At the moment, Levi is in a really good place. He’s on the right track, but I don’t want to put pressure on him. It's been brilliant to see him back on the pitch running. He is itching to get back, but we need to make sure he feels 100 per cent perfect.”
Mykhailo Mudryk - Out (Suspended)
Mudryk is suspended. A club statement in the summer read: “We can confirm that Mykhailo Mudryk has been charged with Anti-Doping Rule Violations alleging the presence and/or use of a prohibited substance, in terms of Regulations 3 and 4 of The FA's Anti-Doping Regulations. As this is an ongoing case, we are not in a position to comment further at this time.” Mudryk is not included in the final count due to the nature of his absence.
Kai Havertz - Doubt
Havertz was a toss-up for the Tottenham game but did not make it. It’s likely he will be back here, but he will go down as a doubt until Arteta confirms he is available.
Bukayo Saka - Fit
Saka had a knock at the end of the Tottenham game, but it’s not expected to impact his availability.
Mikel Merino - Out
Merino is likely going to miss the rest of the season after a foot fracture. Arteta said after the Spaniard’s surgery: “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.”
Max Dowman - Out
Arteta said last week: “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.” Dowman will be available some time in early March.
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