Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta remains optimistic that midfielder Martin Zubimendi will be fit for Sunday’s Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest away from home.
The Gunners suffered a dismal 3-0 league loss at Brighton & Hove Albion before the international break, but have since responded with back-to-back wins in all competitions.
They will aim to continue the run at City Ground, which has not been a happy hunting ground. The club have picked up just one win in the last six trips. The last two encounters at the stadium have ended 0-0.
Ahead of the match, Arteta has provided a positive injury update on Zubimendi. The Spaniard revealed that the midfielder looks ‘much better’ since his minor ankle injury last weekend.
He added that the 27-year-old could be involved based on the outcome of tomorrow’s training session.
Arteta said: “Zubi looks much better, he already looked much better today. We have another session tomorrow, and after that we will assess whether he’s available to play against Forest.”
While Zubimendi is likely to be in contention for Sunday, Piero Hincapie and Christos Tzolis have been ruled out, along with William Saliba, who has been on the sidelines since the World Cup.
Hincapie suffered an ankle sprain during the warm-down session after the Leeds United game last weekend. Arteta acknowledged that he could be out of action for another two weeks.
Similarly, Tzolis could be sidelined for a ‘few weeks’ after his hamstring injury on Greece duty.
Meanwhile, Zubimendi will likely be named on the substitutes’ bench if he is deemed fit for Sunday.
The Spaniard, described as a ‘great player‘ by Rodri, is no longer an assured starter, having lost his spot in the final month of last season following a drastic dip in his performances.
Myles Lewis-Skelly has generally been Declan Rice’s regular central midfield partner since then, but the academy graduate could be on the bench against Forest at the weekend.
Bruno Guimaraes scored a fabulous winner against Leeds after replacing Lewis-Skelly and went on to impress against Lille in the Champions League with his duel success rate and recoveries.
Guimaraes and Rice look poised to continue in the heart of the midfield. Lewis-Skelly, who started at left-back in midweek, should make way for the in-form Riccardo Calafiori in the position.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com