Mikel Arteta has indicated that Arsenal could be without up to eight first-team players when they travel to Bournemouth on Saturday.
England’s Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice were injured in the north London derby against Tottenham last Saturday, while both William Saliba and Fabio Vieira have since suffered setbacks.
Arteta’s worries are compounded by the absence of forwards Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard, as well as the long-term absences of Jurrien Timber and Thomas Partey.
The PA news agency understands Saka has a good chance of being involved at the Vitality Stadium but Arteta could have a number of selection headaches.
“They are all in the same pool,” he added of the dubious right players.
“There are a few. We must assess and adjust to the situation because that is a large amount.
“Are they physically fit enough?” The question is whether they have done enough to be selected tomorrow.
“My hope is that everyone is fit and available because we need them with the number of games we’ve already played in the last two weeks and what we have coming up in the next seven to ten days.” We require them, so maybe we will hear good news today.
If Arsenal’s lineup on the south coast looks foreign, Arteta only needs to turn to the home dugout for someone he knows.
In the summer, Bournemouth appointed Andoni Iraola as their new head coach, the 41-year-old having played in the same childhood team as Arteta while growing up in the Basque Country.
“We’re really familiar with one another. We played together and had a great time together. “We played together in Antiguoko, a San Sebastian team that has produced a lot of players over the years,” Arteta explained.
“It’s the beauty of football that 30 years later, we’re here as managers in the Premier League together.” That makes me really delighted.
Leave a Reply