Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta drops key injury update ahead of midweek clash

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has provided an update on his squad’s injury concerns ahead of their midweek Premier League clash with Brentford.

Arsenal, who still lead in the Premier League by five points to Manchester City at second place and six points to Chelsea at third place, have been plagued with unfortunate injury concerns early in the season.

Arteta’s side went into the weekend’s London derby against Chelsea with key injury concerns to the centre-back duo, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, who have been pivotal to the Gunners’ upward trajectory in all competitions for almost 4 seasons now.

While the 43-year-old had to make changes to that squad by including summer signings, Cristhian Andrey Mosquera and Piero Martín Hincapié, the North London side managed to secure a 1-1 draw away at the charged Stamford Bridge.

Speaking to the media ahead of Wednesday night’s fixture at the Emirates Stadium against Brentford, Arteta provides an update on Saliba, Gabriel, Leandro Trossard, and Kai Havertz.

“I’m not going to be able to help you much today because we have a training session later on. Until that happens, we don’t know what’s going to happen with the doubts that we have.

“He [William Saliba] had a little niggle, but I think it will be a matter of days, let’s see if he can be available tomorrow.”

Leandro Trossard: “A matter of days too.”

Kai Havertz: “A matter of weeks. Let’s see how he evolves in the next few weeks. He’s doing really well, doing stuff on the pitch. I think he needs some time.”

Gabriel: “Which Gabi? We have a lot. Big Gabi? He’s doing really well, but he needs weeks as well.”

When asked about the impressive performance of “midfield dynamo” Declan Rice and how important he has been for the club, as well as his improvement over the years, the Spanish manager said: “He’s done it with every step in the way, behaving, acting and with performance and attitudes that are at the highest level.

“He is someone – myself for sure, the club for sure – are going to have him for many years.”