Arsenal are facing a number of injury concerns ahead of their Premier League clash against Crystal Palace this afternoon. The Gunners lost both Takehiro Tomiyasu and William Saliba to injury on Thursday night as Mikel Arteta's side crashed out of the Europa League.
Arsenal will assess Saliba this weekend to decide if he's available for Sunday's Premier League clash with Palace, football.london understands. Tomiyasu is almost certain not to be involved in any capacity for the game against the Eagles, along with Eddie Nketiah and Mohamed Elneny.
Arteta confirmed that Nketiah was still wearing a protective boot and provided a timeline of a few weeks ahead of the Gunners' Europa League exit against Sporting earlier this week. With that being said, football.london takes a look at the injury concerns that Arsenal are facing ahead of the game against the Eagles this weekend.
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William Saliba
William Saliba limped off during the first half of Arsenal's clash against Sporting CP at the Emirates Stadium. The French defender seemed to pull up with a muscle injury in his lower back just moments before Granit Xhaka opened the scoring for the hosts.
Journalist James Benge delivered a positive update that will potentially ease some fans' worries regarding Saliba, reporting that the French international didn't appear to have any strapping as he made his way out of the dressing room.
Benge Tweeted: "No sign of any strapping as Saliba makes his way out of the dressing room." The Gunners will assess Saliba over the next 48 hours to decide if he's available for Sunday's aforementioned clash against Crystal Palace, football.london understands.
However, following an assessment over the weekend, the Frenchman is said to have failed a fitness test ahead of the match and will withdraw from international duty after being selected in the France squad by Didier Deschamps as a result, according to reports in France.
What Arteta has said: "Willy, I don’t know, he had some discomfort and could not continue so we had to take him out."
Expected return date: Unknown
Takehiro Tomiyasu
Takehiro Tomiyasu was substituted inside the first 10 minutes of the Gunners' clash against Sporting CP at the Emirates Stadium. The Japanese defender had overstretched for a tackle on Francisco Trincao early in the match and had to receive treatment on the pitch shortly afterwards.
It is understood that the Japan international will be out for the visit of Palace at the very least with a clear prognosis expected to be finalised in the coming days.
What Arteta has said: "Tomiyasu looks pretty serious from his reaction straight and what he said to me, but obviously, it’s very early."
Expected return date: Unknown
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 Nketiah has said: Nketiah has offered a positive update on his recovery after posting a message on social media ahead of the clash against the Eagles. The Hale End graduate said: “Grafting! *muscle emoji* #SoonBack.”
Nketiah added another image to his Instagram story with the caption: “Rehab crew, monster mentality *brain emoji* *finger point emoji*."
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: Fully fit
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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