Arsenal will be hoping to secure consecutive Premier League wins for the first time in over a month as they take on Leicester City at King Power Stadium today.
The Gunners left it late to return to winning ways against Aston Villa last weekend with a thunderous Jorginho strike hitting the back of Emi Martinez's head before nestling into the back of the net. Gabriel Martinelli then sealed the victory with seconds to spare at Villa Park.
Mikel Arteta's men are on their travels once again this weekend with an enticing clash against Leicester on the horizon before a quick turnaround to take on Everton. Just a few weeks ago, the Toffees dented Arsenal's title hopes by inflicting a 1-0 defeat on them, but they can secure their revenge next Wednesday with a win in a fixture that is their game in hand over title rivals Manchester City.
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With the demanding schedule now set to prove a challenge for Arsenal, especially with European action to return next month, Arteta will need as many bodies available as possible. With that said, football.london has rounded up the latest injury news from north London ahead of the weekend.
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 also missed the clash against Aston Villa but looks set to make his return this weekend.
What Arteta has said: The question mark on Thomas. He hasn’t trained much but looks like he could be available. Let’s see how he goes today. We’ve missed him in the past few games and hopefully he’ll be back.
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.
He 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. The Hale End academy graduate was then pictured back in training when the north Londoners released their latest images from London Colney on Thursday.
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
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 he 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 Thursday.
What Arteta has said: N/A
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 issued 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."
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. Unfortunately no [with regard to a timeframe]. Ask the doctor maybe he'll give you one."
"The knee’s not reacting so it’s really positive. We want him back as quick as possible, but also respecting the timescale that the doctors and the specialists are giving us."
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. Elneny has since penned a new deal at Arsenal as he closes in on a return.
Expected return date: N/A
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