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Bukayo Saka | Getty Images
Arsenal are back in Premier League action on Thursday against Brentford
Arsenal won 3-0 at home against Sunderland over the weekend. Striker Viktor Gyokeres scored twice against the Black Cats at the Emirates Stadium. Meanwhile, midfielder Martin Zubimendi also managed to get himself on the scoresheet.
The Gunners remain top of the Premier League table after 25 fixtures. However, they have Manchester City and Aston Villa chasing them down. Here is a look at the latest injury news and return dates regarding Mikel Arteta’s side....
What is the latest injury news regarding Arsenal wingers Leandro Trossard and Bukayo Saka?
Arsenal winger Leandro Trossard went off against Sunderland and was replaced by Christian Norgaard. He receieved treatment on the pitch and will need to be assessed over the coming days ahead of the clash against Brentford. There has been no update regarding the attacker as of yet.
Saka has sat out of the Gunners’ las two outings in all competitions against Chelsea and then the Black Cats. Like Trossard, the medical staff will have to make checks on him this week and decide whether to make him available against the Bees. Speaking late last week, Arteta shared this latest news regarding his condition: "[Saka’s] hip is getting much better. Hopefully, very soon he will be with us.”
The England international, who has 48 caps to his name, is a massive player for Arteta and will be itching to get back out on the pitch. He broke into the first-team back in 2018 and hasn’t looked back since. The 24-year-old has scored 77 goals in 294 games altogether, seven of which have come this season.
Arsenal injury latest on Martin Odegaard and Mikel Merino
Arsenal brought on Martin Odegaard away at Leeds United late last month. However, he didn’t feature against either Chelsea or Sunderland. He should be back for Brentford though and Arteta said last week: “Martin again is getting better. It will be a matter of days, we believe.”
The Gunners will be without Mikel Merino for a lengthy spell which isn’t ideal. His exact return date is yet to be known. His father Miguel has shed some more light on his setback and has told Spanish radio station Cadena Ser: “Despite the problem, he’s accepting the situation. Injuries never come at a good time and a player has to be prepared for whatever comes. It’s tough but we have to look on the bright side. There are much worse injuries than this one.
“There’s uncertainty because the recovery time isn’t well understood as there’s no history of this type of injury. It’s a stress fracture. It’s not an injury to the toes, it’s a bit more internal. It’s an injury that isn’t very well documented. There are many doubts regarding his recovery.”
Elsewhere, Arsenal youngster Max Dowman remains in the treatment room. The 16-year-old has suffered damage to his ankle ligaments and is unavailable for selection. It seems like he will be back later this month. Arteta has recently said: “Max hasn't trained with us so it will still be a few weeks I think. But he's getting better.”
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