Arsenal were missing two key players in yesterday’s win over Fulham - Oleksandr Zinchenko and Thomas Partey.
Whilst Tierney and Elneny deputised well for the Gunners, the absence of the two was nonetheless felt, particularly with the Ukrainian.
The 25-year-old has been acting as a de-facto midfielder in the build up, allowing for sustained pressure to be exerted upon the opposition.
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It’s not that Tierney is a poor player, he most certainly isn’t, it is merely that inverting as Zinchenko does isn’t maximising the Scotsman’s strengths.
Thankfully, it would appear that the two absentees aren’t going to be missing for too long.
After the match, fans approached club doctor Gary O’Driscoll keen to get updates on the two.
Putting any concerns at ease, O’Driscoll told the fans that the absence of Partey and Zinchenko was merely a ‘precaution’.
Not only that, the club doctor was encouraged by the fact the Gunners had apt depth to deal with the absence of the players:
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“Well the great thing is we have players that can fill in, that’s the difference isn’t it?”
With the next fixture only a few days away - a midweek visit of Aston Villa to Emirates Stadium - the medical team will be keen to not rush the duo back.
From Arteta’s perspective, he’ll not only be hoping they are back for the weekend visit to Old Trafford, but that he’ll also have further additions in the transfer market.
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There are just a few days to go in the window, but the Spaniard is adamant his squad is short, lacking firepower in the absence of Nicolas Pepe.
Links to Pedro Neto have been strong, but no bid has been made as of yet.
Time will tell if more incomings are signed, but one would think they are a necessity in a heavily congested season.
Topics: Arsenal, Mikel Arteta, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Kieran Tierney, Thomas Partey, Transfers
