Burnley v Arsenal - Premier League
Viktor Gyokeres missed Arsenal’s Champions League fixture in midweek (Picture: Getty)
Mikel Arteta has provided an injury update on Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres ahead of his side’s trip to face Sunderland on Saturday.
The Swedish international scored in the 2-0 Premier League win over Burnley last weekend but had to be replaced at half-time at Turf Moor.
Arteta later described Gyokeres’ issue as ‘muscular’, with the striker missing out on the midweek Champions League win over Slavia Prague.
The 27-year-old was not named in Sweden’s squad for the upcoming international break, and Arteta suggested that he will be unable to feature for the visit to the Stadium of Light at the weekend.
‘No news, we remain the same and nobody new that can join the squad so all the same,’ the Spaniard said in his pre-match press conference.
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Gyokeres joins the likes of Kai Havertz, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli and Noni Madueke on the treatment table to give Arteta somewhat of a headache in attacking areas.
But asked if all of those attacking players would be unavailable for Saturday, Arteta responded: ‘I cannot confirm all of that, but you are not far.’
Burnley v Arsenal - Premier League
Gyokeres scored last weekend against Burnley (Picture: Getty)
After the international break, Arsenal face a huge clash with Tottenham at the Emirates, and Arteta is hopeful that he will have some of those attackers back by then.
‘I think it will be really close for them to be in a strong position,’ he added.
There has been some positive news on the injury front, with Gabriel Jesus pictured back in training this week after ten months out with a serious knee injury.
However, despite Arsenal’s lack of fit forwards, the Brazilian is unlikely to be rushed back into first-team action after his lengthy lay-off.
‘Now is about making the steps day by day, in a different surrounding,’ Arteta said.
‘Now he has competitive players around him, see how he copes with that. I love the reaction of his teammates.’
More to follow….
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