Mikel Arteta
Mikel Arteta Credit: Imago
Leeds United could hardly have asked for a better time for Arsenal to sweat over another star’s fitness ahead of Saturday’s clash.
Daniel Farke’s side face the Premier League champions at the Emirates on Saturday, knowing they will need everything to go their way to extend their unbeaten start to the season.
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Arsenal already have several fitness questions hanging over them following the international break. Now another important name has been added to the list.
And this one could be particularly significant for Leeds.
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Ezri Konsa is still a doubt for Leeds clash
Ezri Konsa has emerged as a major doubt for Saturday after leaving the England camp with a thigh problem.
The £55m summer signing from Aston Villa had already been managing a minor issue when he joined England, but he played the full 90 minutes against Spain before playing another 90 minutes in England’s 7-0 win over Croatia.
He then suffered another blow to his quad and was withdrawn from the squad.
Thomas Tuchel played down the seriousness of the problem, explaining that Konsa had suffered a “light trauma” and that England simply did not want to take a risk by allowing him to play through the pain.
That does not mean he is definitely out against Leeds, but reports have since suggested he remains a major doubt for the Emirates clash.
For Mikel Arteta, the timing is far from ideal.
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Another Arsenal headache for Arteta
Konsa has become an important part of Arsenal’s defence since arriving from Villa, particularly with William Saliba still unavailable.
His absence would force Arteta to consider Piero Hincapie or Cristhian Mosquera alongside Gabriel. Both players have been working their way back from injury, although both have returned to training and are expected to be available for selection.
It comes at a time when Arsenal are already dealing with other problems.
Kai Havertz is expected to miss the game with a hamstring injury, while Christos Tzolis is also out after picking up a hamstring problem with Greece. Declan Rice is expected to be fit despite withdrawing from England duty, while Ben White and Hincapié have returned to training.
For Leeds, the Konsa situation is therefore worth watching closely.
Farke’s side will still face an Arsenal team packed with quality, but losing a £55m defender who has started their last three league matches would be a significant boost.
Leeds have already shown against Newcastle and Brighton that they can cause problems for teams when they play with intensity and attack quickly.
If Konsa is missing, Arsenal could have another potential weakness for Farke to target.
And with Leeds arriving at the Emirates unbeaten after five league games, they will have every reason to believe this is an Arsenal side they can make uncomfortable.