Arsenal are back in Premier League action this weekend when they hope to return to winning ways on home soil against struggling Nottingham Forest.
The Gunners were without five players for Thursday’s Europa League clash with PSV Eindhoven as Mikel Arteta made a number of changes, but the Spaniard will be hoping for positive updates on three of those ahead of Sunday’s showdown with Nottingham Forest, while looking to keep the rest of his squad in perfect condition.
Here is all you need to know about the current state of play at the Emirates Stadium and the expected return dates for those out on the sidelines.
Oleksandr Zinchenko
Oleksandr Zinchenko remains sidelined with a calf injury and is still a doubt ahead of this weekend’s clash with Nottingham Forest, with serious worries over his long-term availability.
The versatile left back missed two of August’s fixtures with a knee injury and has since started just one of Arsenal's last nine games in all competitions due to a recurring calf injury. He was also absent from training in midweek ahead of Thursday’s clash with PSV and there has since been no fresh update on his situation.
Speaking on October 20, Arteta said: “I think he's close. He's getting better and better, and he's progressing really well. He had a setback on an injury that he got at the start of the season, which is a shame, but knowing Alex, he will be back very soon."
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Marquinhos
Arsenal forward Marquinhos was one of the latest names to be added to Arsenal’s casualty list after the Brazilian missed out on Thursday’s Europa League clash with PSV with a bout of illness.
The youngster was absent from training on Wednesday ahead of the trip to the Netherlands after contracting a virus, and was not fit enough to travel with the rest of the squad. It is unclear as to whether he will recover in time for Sunday’s clash with Nottingham Forest.
Speaking on Wednesday, Arteta said: “We had Marquinhos who wasn’t feeling well today and didn’t travel.”
Matt Turner
Second choice goalkeeper Matt Turner was a surprise omission from Wednesday's Europa League squad to face PSV having played in every group stage fixture so far this season.
In his absence, Aaron Ramsdale was given his European debut for the Gunners, but Turner will now also miss out on his place in the matchday squad to face Nottingham Forest on Sunday after picking up a groin injury during training. He will now be assessed to determine whether it is serious injury.
Speaking on Thursday Arteta said: "Yesterday in training he had some discomfort in his groin. He tried this morning but he wasn’t well, so Aaron had to play. I don’t know (if his injury is serious) - we’ll have to assess him. It didn’t look a serious injury, no."
Emile Smith Rowe
Midfielder Emile Smith Rowe remains out of action until the New Year following his recent surgery on a groin injury that he picked up following the 3-1 defeat to Manchester United on September 4.
While there has been no exact return date pencilled in for the youngster, there is a strong possibility he could return to first team training in December, although it is still expected that he will not feature for the Gunners again until 2023.
Speaking on September 30, Arteta said: “It is very difficult to give a timeline. It depends on the first process, how the bones heal, how was his first reaction, his improvement and how he's adapting. We need to go step by step.”
Mohamed Elneny
Like Smith Rowe, Mohamed Elneny is also sidelined until next year after suffering a “significant” long-term hamstring strain following his only start of the season against Fulham back in August, having come in to replace the injured Thomas Partey.
An exact return date is not yet known for the Egyptian, while it remains to be seen when he may even be able to return to training. However, it is not expected that he will return before Smith Rowe, meaning any date could be based on the youngster’s recovery period.
Speaking on September 2, Arteta said: “With Mo, it’s probably a little bit easier, and we are talking months.”
