Arsenal have been handed a blow to their hopes of winning the Europa League this season following confirmation of Eddie Nketiah's ankle injury. The 23-year-old striker has played a key role in the Gunners campaign thus far, directly contributing towards three goals in six games.
Nketiah is expected to be on the sidelines until after the international break but the show must go on. Thankfully for the north London outfit, Mikel Arteta has been experimenting with Leandro Trossard, and sometimes Gabriel Martinelli, in the false-nine role recently.
And, with Gabriel Jesus on the mend, the Hale End graduate's absence appear to be manageable. The Arsenal boss will be keen to reintegrate the Brazilian back into the team very soon but he's admitted that he won't be given too much, too soon.
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So, with that being said, football.london has taken a look at the latest Arsenal injury news and updates ahead of the clash with Sporting.
Gabriel Jesus
Jesus suffered medial ligament damage against Cameroon while on international duty with Brazil at the World Cup. The striker featured off the bench in the Gunners' win over Fulham at the weekend and Arteta has revealed his plan to reintegrate him back into the side.
What Arteta has said: "It was great to see him back, you can feel the happiness of everyone, the players and the staff around him. We missed him and now he’s back. We have to manage his minutes, his involvement in the squad and the team. He’s feeling good and every day he’s training he says his sensations are better and better, so that’s really positive."
Return date: Sporting CP, Europa League - Thursday, March 16
Eddie Nketiah
During Jesus' absence, Nketiah rose to the challenge and fired Arsenal to a number of pivotal wins. However, the Gunners will now be without the Hale End Graduate until after the international break due to an ankle injury, football.london understands.
Nketiah, who sees his contract at the Emirates Stadium expire in 2027, has featured 33 times for Arsenal this season, directly contributing towards 11 goals — four of which came in wins over West Ham, Brighton and Manchester United during the congested schedule over New Years.
What Arteta has said: "He’s getting better. He’s still in the boot. He’s still a few weeks away and we need to be patient. 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."
Expected return date: Late March / Early April
Emile Smith Rowe
Smith Rowe has suffered an injury-ridden campaign, initially missing much of the season due to a groin problem before sustaining a thigh strain in the latter stages of his rehabilitation programme. The 22-year-old is back on the road to recovery now, featuring in the matchday squad in each of the Gunners' previous five Premier League fixtures.
In two of which, against Everton and Bournemouth, the midfielder enjoyed brief cameos off the bench, registering an assist against the latter.
What Arteta has said: "He knows how much we love him and how much we missed him and how much we need his qualities. Now he needs to prove it and how much he wants to win and how much he’s going to contribute to this team to be better.
"He’s gonna have to show that to get in the team." I think we have to manage his load, but for sure he’s in a position where we can throw him in at any moment. Then it’s about how he’s coping with the game in general and whether to take him off or use him for the last few minutes of the game."
Return date: Sporting CP, Europa League - Thursday, March 16
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 last 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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