Arsenal finished the summer transfer window with just Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah as the forward options going into the season. A lot of pressure has been placed on both, with a heavy fixture schedule due to the Europa League.
Matters have been made even worse as football.london understands Gabriel Jesus had to withdraw from the Brazil World Cup squad after suffering a knee injury, and this could he’ll be out of action when club football returns.
This creates a major dilemma for Mikel Arteta whether or not to risk playing Eddie Nketiah in Arsenal’s winter camp that gets underway on December 8. With Jesus out of action, an injury to Nketiah could prove fatal for the Gunners.
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Nketiah has already played in Arsenal’s preparations for the Premier League restart as he scored against Watford in a behind-closed-doors game. His goal was not enough to secure the win as the Gunners lost 4-2.
Despite Arteta fielding Nketiah against Watford, it may. Be wise for him to be more cautious when Arsenal travel to Dubai to take part in more friendlies, to prevent the risk of him being injured which would leave Arsenal without a fit recognised striker in the squad.
Arsenal confirmed that they will take part in the Dubai Super Cup next week as part of their plans to build back up to the start of the Premier League. The tournament will involve fellow Premier League side Liverpool as well as Lyon and AC Milan although the Gunners will only play the latter two.
Juventus have also confirmed that they will face Arsenal in a mid-season friendly during the World Cup break. The friendly is set to be played at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, December 17. The Gunners will be back in Premier League action on Boxing Day as they take on West Ham in north London on Sunday, December 26.
With a host of friendlies set to take place before the return of the Premier League, it is crucial that Nketiah comes out of the preparations unscathed as he will be pivotal in ensuring Arsenal’s winning run continues in the league without the potentially injured Jesus.
Nketiah showed at the back end of last season that he is a more than useful backup after scoring four Premier League goals in as many matches. Arteta will need to decide whether to rest the forward to prevent the risk of injury or play him in the matches to create a rhythm for the striker who he can find form ahead of the Premier League restart.
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