Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz & Ben Whiteplaceholder image
Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz & Ben White | Getty Images
The latest Arsenal injury news ahead of their Premier League game against Chelsea - including an update on Bukayo Saka.
Arsenal are preparing for another big cross-capital clash with a Premier League match against Chelsea coming up on Sunday – but Mikel Arteta’s life could be made harder by injuries to key players.
Bukayo Saka appeared to sustain yet another injury during last weekend’s 4-1 North London Derby win and his availability is in doubt as a result, while Kai Havertz and Ben White have yet to return after recent fitness problems. In total, Arteta could be without five first-team players for the game against Chelsea.
With kick-off approaching, we’ve collected all of the latest Arsenal injury news below, along with the potential absentees’ expected return dates when available.
Will Bukayo Saka be fit to face Chelsea?
The biggest headache Arteta faces concerns winger Bukayo Saka, who limped off the pitch towards the end of the match against Tottenham Hotspur after Xavi Simons landed awkwardly on the England international’s ankle.
Saka appeared to be in some pain and required extensive treatment from the club’s physios, but appeared to be moving freely in the aftermath, suggesting that a serious injury may have been avoided – but the Arsenal head coach did not address the situation during his post-match press interviews and it remains unclear whether Saka has been able to train ahead of the game against Chelsea.
As it stands, there is no clarity over whether the damage was significant enough to force Saka to miss any time. Arteta will be expected to address the 24-year-old’s status during his pre-match press conference on Friday, but has thus far declined to offer any updates – as is typically the case under Arteta, who prefers to keep players’ availability under wraps until the teams are announced. We may not discover whether Saka is fit to play until 90 minutes before the start of the match.
Kai Havertz & Ben White among Arsenal doubts ahead of the weekend
Arsenal also have question marks over the availability of Kai Havertz, who has missed the last four matches with a hamstring issue, and defender Ben White, who has been absent for two games with an undisclosed injury which Arteta has only described as a “little niggle.”
Both stand a chance of making the matchday squad against Chelsea, however, with Arteta suggesting that Arsenal had “tried” to bring Havertz back for the North London Derby but that the match ultimately came “too early” for the German forward. With another week of training under his belt, he figures to be involved in some capacity on Sunday.
Arteta hasn’t offered any updates on the status of White, but the language used when the injury first occurred suggested that it was a minor problem. Young forward Max Dowman is another doubt, but was expected to return to training last week and could be in line to make the bench if his progress has continued at a reasonable pace.
The only Arsenal player who certainly won’t be involved this weekend is Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino, who may not feature again this season after suffering a stress fracture in his foot. The club have yet to put a timeframe on his comeback, but it is highly unlikely that he is available before May.
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