Jurriën Timber, Martin Ødegaard and Leandro Trossardplaceholder image
Jurriën Timber, Martin Ødegaard and Leandro Trossard | Getty Images
The latest Arsenal injury news ahead of the Champions League clash against Bayer Leverkusen.
Arsenal take on Bayer Leverkusen in the second leg of their Champions League last 16 tie this Tuesday, with the EFL Cup final against Manchester City following this weekend – and Mikel Arteta’s plans for two crucial matches could be complicated by fresh injury issues.
Both Martin Ødegaard and Leandro Trossard sat out the 2-0 win over Everton on Saturday, while key defender Jurriën Timber had to be substituted in the first half due to an apparent ankle problem.
With two massive games on the horizon, we’ve collected all of the latest Arsenal injury news and updates below, along with the potential absentees’ expected return dates when available.
Will Jurriën Timber be fit for Arsenal this week?
Dutch defender Jurriën Timber limped off with less than 40 minutes on the clock against Everton after failing to shake off what initially looked like an ankle injury, sustained when the full-back was caught by Iliman Ndiaye on his right foot.
Timber received on-field treatment and attempted to carry on but was replaced by Cristhian Mosquera having also been seen to clutch at his groin, another possible point of concern.
As it stands, neither club nor player have provided any updates on his condition, meaning that while he must go down as a major doubt for the forthcoming games against Bayer Leverkusen and Manchester City, there is no clarity on how much more time he might miss, if any.
The player is expected to undergo scans on Monday to determine the extent of any damage to his ankle or groin, although it is relatively unlikely that Arteta will reveal the likelihood that Timber can play prior to Tuesday’s 8pm kick-off. Ben White is back to full fitness should he be required to replace Timber.
Will Martin Ødegaard and Leandro Trossard miss more time?
Arsenal also have question marks over the availability of both club captain Martin Ødegaard and versatile forward Leandro Trossard, neither of whom made the matchday squad for the win over Everton.
Ødegaard has been absent with a knee injury since February’s North London Derby nearly a month ago, and Arteta has been cautious about putting a return date on Ødegaard but the Norwegian has already been out for longer than initial reports had suggested. He stated in his programme notes for the Everton game that his recovery had been “difficult” but that he was “working as hard as I can to get back to full fitness.”
Ødegaard remains a strong doubt for this week’s matches, then, as does Trossard, who picked up what appears to be a hip injury during the recent FA Cup fifth round victory over Mansfield Town. As with Ødegaard, Arteta has refused to be drawn on the likely length of the lay-off, but the injury is not believed to be serious.
The only player who certainly won’t be involved this week is midfielder Mikel Merino, who may not feature again this season after undergoing surgery on a broken foot. The Spaniard has an outside chance of making a return in May for the final week or two of the season, but may well have played his last game of the campaign.
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