For the first time in 13 days, Arsenal are back in Premier League action. The Gunners take on Leeds at Emirates Stadium in a fixture that kicks off a crucial two months for Mikel Arteta and his players with ten games to play in their gripping title battle against Manchester City.
Over the international break, Arsenal were dealt some good and some bad injury news. On the positive side, Gabriel Jesus was handed an extra week to continue his recovery after a four-month absence, while Thomas Partey did not suffer any fresh injury worries, despite missing Ghana's AFCON qualifiers against Angola.
However, William Saliba continues to be bothered by a back problem that saw him subbed off in March during the Europa League defeat to Sporting CP. Mikel Arteta subsequently offered an update on his availability for the Leeds game after he was not spotted in open training on Thursday.
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With that being said, football.london has rounded up the latest fitness news we have involving Arsenal players ahead of Saturday's match.
William Saliba
William Saliba limped off in Arsenal's exit from the Europa League against Sporting CP, suffering an issue with his back that forced the youngster to be substituted. The Frenchman then missed the clash with Crystal Palace, as well as the international break with the France senior squad, as concerns mount.
While there was hope that the two-week break would give enough time for a return, the defender is set to miss Arsenal’s Premier League clash with Leeds due to injury football.london understands, having not been pictured in training ahead of the game too, with Arteta confirming his absence on Friday.
What Arteta has said: "We are trying to manage him in the best possible way. Unfortunately he’s not gonna be fit for this game [against Leeds] and we’re trying and he’s trying to do everything to feel better and get back training. But not yet.
"I am very hopeful and he is as well. Back injuries are a bit tricky and how they evolve with the load that you put in certain areas. He’s very positive and the medical staff are positive about it. Let’s push it every day and see how he copes with that and how the pain develops as well. He’s so willing to be back in the team."
Expected return date: Unknown
Thomas Partey
Thomas Partey was an unused substitute during Ghana's African Cup of Nations qualification clash against Angola on Monday evening. The Arsenal midfielder was left out as a 'precaution' Ghana boss Chris Hughton revealed after the game but he looks set to face Leeds this weekend.
The north London outfit sent club physio, Simon Murphy, to Ghana with the 29-year-old in a desperate bid to ensure the key midfielder avoids injury on international duty. The Gunners were given a huge boost over the fitness of the midfielder, with pictures showing him present in training ahead of the Leeds tie.
What Arteta has said: "We have a really good relationship with the Ghanaian federation and we have to manage and look after our players.
"They’ve been really positive about it as well. We have to manage our players. It works both ways. He obviously wasn’t fit enough to play the second game but hopefully he’ll be back for the weekend."
Expected return date: Available Leeds (H) April 1.
Kieran Tierney
Kieran Tierney started Scotland's European championship qualifier against Spain playing a key role in Scott McTominay's second goal. In the 76th minute, Tierney was forced off after a strong tackle from Manchester City star Rodri.
Expected return date: Available Leeds (H) April 1.
Eddie Nketiah
During Gabriel 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 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
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 early in the match and had to receive treatment on the pitch shortly afterwards and was unable to continue.
The Japan international wasn't in the squad to face Crystal Palace, with it later confirmed he had undergone knee surgery. Now the medical staff have learned the extent of the defender's injury.
An official club statement reads: "Tomi has had successful surgery in London on Tuesday and will be ruled out for the remainder of this season. Everyone at the club will now be working hard with Tomi, so he can join pre-season training ahead of next season."
What Arteta has said: "We don’t know. The doctor is assessing. We have one assessment and I think they need to have another assessment tomorrow. It’s not looking good. Tomi is not one to exaggerate things. He was really concerned straight away and we are concerned."
Expected return date: June
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 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: Unknown
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