British media outlet Football London has provided an update on Arsenal’s current injury situation, noting that Mikel Arteta hopes to see the return of 4-5 injured players before Arsenal’s match against Nottingham Forest on November 23. However, there are some uncertainties about whether this will happen.
The most important three players are Declan Rice, Ben White, and Bukayo Saka. White underwent a minor surgery earlier this week, and he has already missed four weeks of the season due to injury. He is currently recovering from the surgery and may need more time to heal.
Rice sustained an injury during the match against Newcastle United in early November, which caused him to miss the Champions League game against Inter Milan. He returned to action in the away match against Chelsea but was substituted in the 71st minute due to injury. He subsequently missed the recent England national team training camp.
Saka’s condition is also not looking promising. At the most recent press conference, Arteta revealed, “Saka’s situation doesn’t look good.”
Beyond these three players, Arteta is hopeful that at least two of the other three injured players will return soon. Riccardo Calafiori missed the national team call-up due to a knee issue, but he is expected to be fit for the match against Forest next weekend. Kieran Tierney suffered a severe hamstring injury during the summer European Championship, but he is expected to recover by late November. Takehiro Tomiyasu has also been plagued by injuries this season, having played only five minutes, but according to the schedule, the Japanese player is also set to return soon.
In summary, the media points out that Arteta hopes to have 4-5 of these injured players back in the squad by the match against Forest on the 23rd. Additionally, Arteta hopes that Martin Ødegaard can remain healthy. The Norwegian midfielder was absent for 70 days due to an ankle injury starting in September. He returned to action before the match against Chelsea but withdrew from the national team due to minor discomfort during this international break, staying in North London instead.
