Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has provided an injury update on three key players ahead of Arsenal’s crunch weekend derby clash against Chelsea.
The Gunners boss finds himself in the unfamiliar territory of trailing the Blues in the Premier League standings with Enzo Maresca guiding his Chelsea squad to a surprise fourth place ahead of Sunday’s contest.
Arsenal are currently enduring a torrid run of form, winless in their last three Premier League outings with losses coming against Bournemouth and Newcastle, while they also suffered a midweek Champions League defeat against Inter Milan.
Injuries to key players have been cited as a major reason for Arsenal’s drop-off, which has seen some doubt about the club’s Premier League title ambitions.
Ahead of the Gunners’ game against Chelsea, Arteta is still grappling with scores of injuries which could mar the team’s chances in the match.
Midfielders Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, and Mikel Merino are all doubts for the game with Arteta’s midfield options clearly depleted.
For Declan Rice, it will be the second match the England international will miss for the Gunners this season. He was left out of the squad for the midweek Champions League matchday clash against Serie A champions Inter Milan at the San Siro.
Sources close to the club revealed he picked up a grim foot injury ahead of the match and had to be left off the squad. He is currently battling to recover from the blow with Arsenal medics working around the clock to get him back to fitness.
However, despite the blow, Mikel Arteta is said to be more coy about Rice’s possible return to the Chelsea match, at least with a sub appearance.
Mikel Arteta confirms update on Declan Rice injury
Speaking ahead of the match, Arteta said he is not sure whether Rice will be able to play since he has yet to taste action since the blow.
”I have to be very vague on that one because there’s no clarity if he’s going to be fit on the weekend,’ the Arsenal boss said.
”He hasn’t trained yet and it’s not clear if he’ll be able to play,’ added Arteta.
On Kai Havertz and Mikel Merino, Arteta still expressed doubts on the likelihood of having the two players feature against Chelsea.
According to him, he is also waiting to see if Havertz and Merino will be fit to play in the derby clash.
Kai Havertz suffered a head injury against Milan that required treatment. Mikel Merino, who was acquired in the summer from Real Sociedad, has also been dealing with a head knock after coming off at halftime at the San Siro following a clash with Milan goalkeeper Yann Sommer.
Arteta’s comment in Kai Havertz and Mikel Merino injury blow
Commenting on the pair’s fitness, Arteta said:
“We will have to wait to see how they react.
“Kai had a nasty cut so we had to take him off. With Mikel he wasn’t feeling great the day before so we had to sub him at half time.”
Amidst the piling injury crises in the Gunners’ midfield, Arsenal fans have been offered a big leverage ahead of the Chelsea clash.
The team’s captain, Martin Odegaard, is back in the squad and will be available for selection for the first time since suffering a long-term injury in August.
Odegaard came on as a substitute against Inter, but Arteta refused to comment on whether the Norwegian is in a position to start versus Chelsea.
However, the footballer is expected to return to the lineup against Chelsea and possibly make at least another substitute appearance.
Arsenal will go into the game against Chelsea on the back of dwindling fortunes in the ongoing campaign. They are a distant fifth on the Premier League table with 18 points. They will be looking for their first Premier League victory after a winless three-match run that started with a 2-0 loss to Bournemouth.
