Arsenal injury update: Saliba, Tomiyasu & Nketiah latest return dates
Arsenal had been receiving positive news about their players’ fitness, but that has now changed as two defenders, Takehiro Tomiyasu and William Saliba, were injured during the team’s Europa League loss to Sporting CP.
This comes after the recent recovery of Gabriel Jesus, and adds to the absence of Eddie Nketiah and Mohamed Elneny due to injuries.
These developments may have an impact on Arsenal’s aspirations to win the Premier League title.
The following are the latest updates on Arsenal’s injuries and expected return dates.
William Saliba
During Thursday’s match, Arsenal had to substitute William Saliba after just 21 minutes due to an unspecified issue that left him limping.
However, he was able to leave the pitch on his own without any assistance. It is not yet clear whether his removal was a precautionary measure due to Arsenal’s title challenge, or if he genuinely suffered an injury.
Saliba was seen leaving the stadium without any visible strapping, but Arsenal will have to wait anxiously to learn the extent of his injury and the duration of his absence.
Arteta said: “I don’t know, he had some discomfort and could not continue so we had to take him out.”
Takehiro Tomiyasu
Similar to Saliba, Takehiro Tomiyasu is also in the early stages of his recovery from the injury he sustained against Sporting CP.
Tomiyasu, who is a Japanese full-back, suffered the injury while reaching for the ball and immediately fell to the ground in pain. There are concerns that his injury might be more severe than Saliba’s.
According to Arteta, Tomiyasu had used the word “serious” to describe the injury he sustained during the match.
The manager said: “Tomiyasu looks pretty serious from his reaction straight after and what he said to me, but obviously, it’s very early.”
Eddie Nketiah
Eddie Nketiah is still recovering from an ankle injury he suffered at the beginning of the month and is expected to be out for a few more weeks.
He is currently wearing a protective boot, and his manager, Arteta, expressed a pessimistic outlook on the striker’s chances of returning to play in the near future.
Arteta informed the media that Nketiah is gradually improving, but they need to be patient as he is still a few weeks away from full recovery.
“It was a nasty injury and he has a big challenge ahead of him. Thank God it could have been worse. So he’s not in a bad place.”
Mohamed Elneny
Arsenal will have to do without the services of Egyptian midfielder Mohamed Elneny for the remainder of the season.
Elneny sustained a knee injury during a training session at the end of January, and he had to undergo surgery to correct the problem.
The club stated that Elneny’s rehabilitation process will require a “significant” amount of time, which means he will miss the rest of the season.
Arsenal injury update: Saliba, Tomiyasu & Nketiah latest return dates
