Arsenal have been dealt another injury blow with news that another of their players has suffered a setback and is set to be out for ‘another month’, according to a new report.
Mikel Arteta’s side have started their season in fine form. They currently sit third in the league as well as registering four points in the Champions League thanks to a 0-0 draw with Atalanta and a 2-0 win over PSG on October 1.
However, the dreaded international break has already seen Bukayo Saka suffer a muscle injury during England’s 2-1 loss to Greece on October 10.
Interim England boss Lee Carsley confirmed Saka was “close” to playing against Finland in England’s 3-1 win on Sunday evening. His words suggested the problem is nothing too serious and he could yet be ready to feature for the Gunners at Bournemouth this weekend.
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Fellow winger Gabriel Martinelli, meanwhile, was spotted in Brazil training with tape strapped to his leg. The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) confirmed the player was sent for an MRI scan on his right calf on Sunday evening.
“Player Gabriel Martinelli complained of pain in his right calf and underwent an MRI on Sunday night, which showed a small area of muscle edema in the area,” the CBF said in a statement.
“The athlete continues to undergo physiotherapy treatment under the care of the Brazilian national team’s medical department.”
Arsenal have been without captain Martin Odegaard since he trudged off following a challenge from Austria’s Christoph Baumgartner while playing for Norway in the previous international break.
And Arsenal have now reportedly been dealt yet another injury setback as Japanese full-back Takehiro Tomiyasu 'suffered a recurrence of his knee problem' in Arsenal’s 3-1 against Southampton last time out.
The 25-year-old is set to be out for another month, according to TeamTalk. The defender had already missed the first few weeks of the season after sustaining a knee injury in pre-season.
His knee issue is the latest in a string of injuries for the Japanese since joining Arsenal from Bologna in 2021. He has failed to play over 22 games in a single season since arriving at the Emirates.
Last season, a recurring calf injury kept him on the sideline for much of the second half of the season. He had knee surgery in March 2023, which also kept him out for over three months.
The full-back will likely be unavailable for the Gunners’ trip to Bournemouth on Saturday. Even though Tomiyasu’s injury was not aggravated on international duty, the sight of Saka being forced off and Martinelli having a scan will be a cause for concern for Arteta.
The Arsenal boss was quizzed on his feelings towards the international break ahead of Arsenal’s win over Southampton recently.
“I prefer not to watch the games!” he said.
“I pray that everybody is going to be fine, because the last one was a really difficult one to handle in many ways.”
Topics: Arsenal, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli
Luke Davies