Arsenal have a growing injury list, so there was lots to unpack from their latest team news update ahead of the trip to Southampton.
The most encouraging update from the latest Arsenal team news post ahead of Southampton concerned Bernd Leno. Whilst the goalkeeper will miss four to six weeks with a moderate ligament strain, effectively ending his season, it could’ve been much worse.
In other good news, Granit Xhaka and Sokratis Papastathopoulos are back in full training. Xhaka’s ankle problem clearly wasn’t as bad as they first thought, nor Sokratis’ thigh strain.
Cedric Soares is also integrating back into training after his nasal fracture. He’ll return to action (or join the action for the first time) after Sheffield United this weekend.
The biggest piece of bad news is a knee injury to Gabriel Martinelli. Arsenal confirmed a cartilage injury, planning further tests in the coming days. Mikel Arteta then suggested in his press conference that the teenager is looking at “months” out.
Pablo Mari is out for two to three months with an ankle ligament strain. Like Leno, it could have been worse, but it’s still a significant period out. Hopefully, he’ll return in time for the reported September 12th start date for next season.
Lucas Torreira is also still out, aiming to return to full training in the next two to three weeks. Calum Chambers won’t play again this season as he continues his ACL recovery.
Finally, David Luiz may have a new one-year deal with Arsenal, but he’ll miss Southampton through his suspension. He can feature again starting with the FA Cup quarter-final on Sunday.