Arsenal fans are keeping their fingers crossed as a series of injuries could affect key players ahead of crucial matches against PSG and Southampton.
Mikel Arteta’s squad is facing multiple setbacks, with Ben White, Martin Odegaard, and new signing Mikel Merino all battling injuries.
Race against time: When will Ben White return?
Ben White’s absence was felt in the narrow win over Leicester, and Arsenal fans will be hoping the defender can recover from his groin injury in time for the upcoming Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain.
White, who came off the bench during the Manchester City match, has been struggling with fitness but Arteta remains “hopeful” he’ll make the squad against PSG.
Meanwhile, Mikel Merino is edging closer to his Arsenal debut. The summer signing suffered a shoulder injury in his very first training session with the club, but is now back in partial training.
?⚪️ Arteta on Ødegaard and Merino: “We’re not expecting any player to return in the next 24/48h”.
“Calafiori? We’ll see how he feels today, he was a bit emotional after the game”. pic.twitter.com/YlEwdVMnWu
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 30, 2024
Arteta praised Merino’s work ethic, saying the player is pushing to get back on the pitch as soon as possible. Arsenal fans could see him feature as early as the Southampton game.
On the captaincy front, Martin Odegaard is still recovering from a nasty ankle injury picked up during international duty. The Arsenal skipper is expected to be sidelined until late October, leaving fans eagerly awaiting his return.
With these injuries piling up, the Gunners will need to dig deep in their upcoming matches.
