Arsenal are contending with a fresh injury concern on the eve of the Premier League’s restart.
Reiss Nelson went down holding his leg on Saturday as he made an early exit from a friendly defeat at home to Juventus.
That could disrupt Arsenal’s transfer plans, although Mikel Arteta has insisted it will not, and adds to a fairly long list of worries for the Gunners.
Emile Smith Rowe, Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Albert Sambi Lokonga are also suffering from varying degrees of injury issues.
Here is your latest update of Arsenal injuries...
Reiss Nelson
Arsenal are still waiting to discover the extent of the hamstring injury suffered by winger Nelson on Saturday.
“We don’t know the extent of the injury,” explained Arteta.
“The fact he had to leave the pitch immediately is not good news, especially someone like Reiss, who is really powerful and fast.”
Emile Smith Rowe
After hinting that Smith Rowe could be back soon after the New Year, Arteta struck a more cautious tone when providing a fresh update following the friendly.
“He hasn’t been able to train in the last few days but hopefully he can start [to train] next week,” said the manager.
“He’s been out for a while now - he needs some time to get back to speed. We really need him and we’re going to welcome him with both arms, because he’s a really important player for us. We need him fit on the pitch.”
Smith Rowe has not played since September due to groin surgery but was with the squad in Dubai to continue his comeback.
Gabriel Jesus
Arsenal are yet to put a timeframe on Jesus’ recovery since he suffered a knee injury at the World Cup.
The striker required an operation and the Gunners could look to sign a short-term replacement in January.
Reports have suggsted a three-month lay-off and a return in early March, although that has not been confirmed by the club.
Oleksandr Zinchenko
Zinchenko told fans “not to worry” about a problem he suffered in his calf last week, which kept him out of the Lyon, AC Milan and Juventus friendlies.
After missing a large chunk of the season with a calf injury, he returned before the break but was once again sideline with muscle tightness in Dubai.
Arteta said on Saturday that Zinchenko is “progressing well” in his latest recovery.
Takehiro Tomiyasu
A hamstring issue kept Tomiyasu out of Arsenal’s Juventus friendly.
The Japanese full-back is taking part in running training as he looks to end his own injury-hit season, Arteta has confirmed, but he remains a doubt for the West Ham game.
Albert Sambi Lokonga
Lokonga was another first-team player absent on Saturday after suffering a foot injury in Dubai.
Reportedly just a precaution, the Belgian is a minor doubt to feature next time out.
