Arsenal faces several injury concerns ahead of their Premier League clash against Bournemouth. Bukayo Saka, who picked up a right leg injury while playing for England in the Nations League defeat to Greece, could still be fit for the match after the international break. The 23-year-old was substituted in the second half, raising fears of a hamstring injury. However, England’s assistant coach Lee Carsley has indicated that the injury may not be serious. While the England medical staff believed Saka could have participated in the Finland game, they opted against risking his fitness, leading to his absence from the squad. Carsley noted, “Bukayo would have been close but it would have been unfair to take a risk with him. He’s a positive person and I expect him to be fine.”
The fact that Saka could have potentially featured for England against Finland suggests he should be fit for Arsenal’s clash with Bournemouth next Saturday. Mikel Arteta will certainly be hoping the winger returns to full fitness soon, especially with several other injury concerns to address.Martin Odegaard, Kieran Tierney, and Oleksandr Zinchenko are still sidelined, with captain Odegaard aiming for a return in November after missing the last four weeks due to ankle ligament damage. Zinchenko, however, could be available against Bournemouth, as Arteta mentioned, “Oleks probably after the international break, if everything goes well, he’s progressing very well.”There are uncertainties surrounding Ben White and Jurrien Timber, who did not make the matchday squad against Southampton.
While neither was called up by their respective national teams, Arteta has indicated that both are close to returning and should be in contention against the Cherries. Additionally, Kai Havertz, who was set to join the Germany squad, did not travel due to a knee injury and is now a doubt for next Saturday’s match. His potential absence raises concerns for Arteta, particularly with three crucial games in eight days against Bournemouth, Shakhtar Donetsk, and Liverpool following the international break.
Thomas Partey was another player who dropped out of international duty at the last minute, having to stay home due to a reported illness after being set to meet up with the Ghana squad. On a more positive note, Takehiro Tomiyasu made his return from injury against Southampton just before the international break and will have benefitted from a couple of weeks of full training.At this stage, it seems that Odegaard, Tierney, and Havertz will not make the trip to Bournemouth. However, Arteta is expected to provide clarity on the injury front next Friday during his pre-match press conference.
