Arsenal fans feared the worst when they saw Bukayo Saka go down off the ball during the dramatic win against Aston Villa. The 21-year-old was seen clutching his ankle in some discomfort but looks set to have avoided a serious injury.
Mikel Arteta provided a promising update on Saka's condition after the match at Villa Park which saw the Gunners move back to the top of the Premier League. The England international soldiered on before dropping to the turf inside the opening 10 minutes of the second-half with Arteta calling for officials to offer his star forward more protection once again.
After receiving medical attention, the Hale End graduate managed to finish the 90 minutes and help guide the Gunners to a dramatic victory. In other news, Emile Smith Rowe was expected to make his return against Unai Emery's side, instead, Arteta opted for Fabio Vieira, who provided the crucial pass which saw Gabriel Martinelli score Arsenal's fourth and final goal of the afternoon.
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With Leicester City first up in a busy couple weeks, news of some absences in training on Monday will have caused concern for some. So, with that being said, football.london has taken a look at all the latest injury news from the Emirates Stadium.
Jorginho
Jorginho impressed for the Gunners against Aston Villa as his stoppage time strike helped return the side to winning ways. The Italian was absent from training on Monday, but it is reported that is down to having a day off to have further time to recover following the clash.
Expected return date: Leicester City (A) - February 25
Bukayo Saka
Saka was seen limping in the second-half of Arsenal's clash with Villa and, at one stage, it looked as if he couldn't continue. However, he managed to persevere and Arteta has since provided a positive update, brushing off speculation that the winger is injured.
Saka wasn't involved in training on Monday, but that is due to having a day off for further recovery rather than a serious injury concern.
What Arteta has said: "He’s fine. He got kicked quite a lot today again. But he’s going to have to deal with that, not every week, but every three days and sometimes in training as well because it’s his game and teams are not stupid and they want to stop him. That’s why we need to protect him."
Expected return date: Leicester City (A) - February 25
Thomas Partey
A muscular problem ruled Partey out of the clash against Manchester City and he's since yet to make his return to the matchday squad. The 29-year-old is set for a period of time on the sidelines having not appeared in training images posted by the club recently.
What Arteta has said: "We have to assess him today again. He had some discomfort, a little muscle discomfort. We have to assess him this morning and see how he is."
Expected return date: N/A
Eddie Nketiah
Striker Eddie Nketiah has impressed since filling the boots of the injured Gabriel Jesus, finding the back of the net on a regular basis so far. He was also absent from training on Monday, but that was due to being given an extra day off before making his return before the clash against Leicester City.
Expected return date: Leicester City (A) - February 25
Oleksandr Zinchenko
Oleksandr Zinchenko has been a key member of the squad since joining from Manchester City last summer, but his occasional struggles with injury have been a cause for concern. His absence from training would be a worry with that context, however much like his teammates, he was one of a few given the day off.
Expected return date: Leicester City (A) - February 25
Emile Smith Rowe
A groin issue has plagued Smith Rowe's season thus far with the 22-year-old limited to just five Premier League appearances so far this term. The talented playmaker did return with substitute appearances against Tottenham and Oxford United but was missing for the FA Cup clash against Manchester City as football.london understands he was suffering from a thigh strain and was left out as a precaution.
This issue also ruled him out for the games against Everton, Brentford and Man City but he did make the bench against Aston Villa. He did not come on, but was pictured in training on Monday morning in a major boost for Smith Rowe and Arteta with a busy schedule ahead.
What Arteta has said: "Emile is training today [Friday], if he’s fine he'll be in the squad."
Expected return date: Leicester City (A) - February 25
Gabriel Jesus
Having suffered medial ligament damage whilst playing for Brazil against Cameroon in the World Cup group stages, Jesus returned to London to undergo surgery on his knee, with an expectation that he will be out for at least another month of footballing action.
Speaking to former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov at the Emirates Stadium last month, Jesus admitted he hopes to be back on the pitch in "four to five weeks". On Wednesday, February 1 the 25-year-old delivered a fresh update on his fitness status, posting a picture on Instagram of himself back on the training pitch.
He has since been seen running in a post on Instagram which he captioned: "After eight weeks," whilst his personal trainer Andre Cunha shared a video of him running, exciting fans.
What Arteta has said: "Doing really well he’s been doing quite a lot of work on the ball already and his rehab is going well," Arteta revealed about Jesus. "Unfortunately no [with regard to a timeframe]. Ask the doctor maybe he’ll give you one."
He then added before Villa, "Gabi is still not there."
Expected return date: March 2023.
Mohamed Elneny
Elneny started in the FA Cup win over Oxford United and played the whole 90 minutes. However, the Egyptian was absent for Arteta's squad for the 2-0 win at Tottenham, with a knee issue picked up in training ahead of the clash being assessed. Additionally, there was no place on the bench to face Manchester United.
A club statement earlier this month then confirmed that the former Basel man will be out for an extended period of time, although no timescale was given on his expected return. "Following an injury sustained in a recent training session, subsequent assessments have confirmed that Mohamed Elneny has a significant injury to his right knee," the update read.
"Mo has had successful surgery in London and will be ruled out for an extended period of time. A more detailed timescale will be established once the early stages of rehabilitation have been completed.
"Everyone at the club will be offering Mo all the support he needs and working hard with him so he can return to action as soon as possible."
Expected return date: N/A
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