It looks like Arsenal will be without William Saliba and Leandro Trossard for tomorrow’s game with Brentford, although neither is expected to be out for long, says Mikel Arteta.
Saliba picked up a knock in training ahead of the Chelsea match and sat that one out, despite travelling with the squad.
“He had a little niggle, so I think it’s going to be a matter of days, so let’s see if he’s able to be there tomorrow,” said Arteta on Tuesday.
“The ankle one [earlier in the season] was really random, and a very unlucky action that kept him out for a few weeks. He tried at Anfield, he wasn’t comfortable, and he had to stay away.
“This one as well, very bizarre, but hopefully it will be a matter of days.”
Trossard, who limped off against Bayern Munich in midweek, also missed Sunday’s action. The manager had suggested the Belgian might make it, but as ever, reading between the lines of his fitness updates remains an art form. Like Saliba, he says it’ll be “a matter of days”, but who knows.
The good news is that Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard are all back to full fitness, so covering Trossard’s absence shouldn’t be a problem. Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Jesus returning to the bench further bolsters the attacking options, while Kai Havertz continues his recovery from the knee issue he suffered at the start of the season.
During the November Interlull, Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann reported the striker had suffered a setback that would delay his return by another month. Arteta appeared to confirm the delay, while revealing Havertz is at least making progress again.
“He was doing everything, but he could not go to the next level, and now it’s looking like we have unlocked that,” said Arteta.
“We’re all desperate to have him, he’s a player that personally I love so much for what he brings to the team – his character, his personality. I see him suffer being outside.
“His playing record is phenomenal, he’s always been available, and I can’t wait to have him back around the team playing because I think it’s going to be a massive boost for the team. ”
At the back, Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera, solid in Sunday’s 1–1 draw, are expected to continue in central defence. Gabriel Magalhaes, however, remains a longer-term absentee and isn’t likely to feature before Christmas.
After a trio of tough fixtures, Brentford represents, on paper, a chance to proactively rotate some players. When it was put to the manager that Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber, for example, might need a breather, he said: “We try to manage every case, every individual in relation to how they feel in the context of the matches.
“But just with the only purpose to have the best options on the pitch and to come to be better than the opponent, that’s it.”
He was then pressed on whether Ben White might expect game time. The 28-year-old has started just two games this season, including the opener at Manchester United, but only has 303 minutes to his name in total.
“It’s an opportunity for everybody,” was the manager’s non-committal answer.
