Arsenal are sweating on the fitness of several key players who are on the injury list ahead of this weekend’s Premier League meeting with Bournemouth.
The Gunners travel to Dean Court for a 3pm kickoff on Saturday afternoon, but could be without Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka after they picked up injuries against Tottenham this past Sunday.
Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard missed the League Cup win over Brentford in midweek, during which Emile Smith-Rowe picked up a knock. Meanwhile, Jurrien Timber and Thomas Partey are out of action with longer-term injuries.
Arsenal injury news ahead of Bournemouth clash:
Declan Rice
The England midfielder came off at halftime of the North London Derby with discomfort in his back. Rice has not trained since, but Mikel Arteta says he is “confident” it’s not a serious issue. He remains a doubt for the weekend, but could return to play a part
Bukayo Saka
The winger took a knock in the second half of the Spurs game and was “limping badly” afterwards. Saka hasn’t trained since and Arteta says it’s a “possibility” he misses the trip to Bournemouth, which would end his club record run of 86 consecutive Premier League appearances.
Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Bukayo Saka is a doubt for Arsenal's game against Brentford but is expected to return against Bournemouth 🔴🤕 pic.twitter.com/zbSZe7fqPP
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) September 26, 2023
Gabriel Martinelli
A muscle injury forced Gabriel Martinelli into an early substitution against Everton and subsequently missed the Tottenham game. Arteta didn’t rule out him returning against Bournemouth, but the Brazilian is not expected to be fit in time.
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Leandro Trossard
Arsenal are seeing “day by day” if Leandro Trossard will be ready for Bournemouth after suffering a reported hamstring injury ahead of the derby. Arteta said: “He wasn’t comfortable to carry on the session the day before the game and he hasn’t trained yet.”
Emile Smith-Rowe
The 23-year-old was substituted out of the Brentford game on Wednesday, although Arteta insisted it had nothing to do with the knock he picked up in the second half. “We have to manage his minutes. His load has been a big spike in the last few weeks and he was struggling to finish the game. The same with Reiss [Nelson].”
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Thomas Partey
The defensive midfielder has been out of action for a month after injuring his groin in training. Partey will reportedly return after the October international break.
Jurrien Timber
After suffering an ACL injury on his Premier League debut, Jurrien Timber is not expected to return until some time in 2024. The Dutch international has undergone surgery has he continues his recovery.
