Oleksandr Zinchenko is expected to be back in the Arsenal squad to face Southampton on Friday, according to a report.

Arsenal left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko missed Sunday’s draw against West Ham United through a groin injury, though he was with the squad and sat behind the bench to watch the match.

The suggestion from initial reports was that the move was largely precautionary, and Sam Dean of The Telegraph went on to write that the defender is “very much expected to be available for Southampton on Friday”.

That’s certainly good news, as Zinchenko remains an important part of Mikel Arteta’s side. Whilst no one would suggest that Kieran Tierney is a bad left-back, he doesn’t fit the team in the same way.

It would be harsh to suggest that Arsenal would have won the game with Zinchenko in the team on Sunday. After all, the Gunners blew a two-goal lead with Zinchenko starting just a week earlier.

But West Ham are a different proposition to Liverpool, and it’s certainly not impossible that more control in the middle at the London Stadium might have helped.

Before West Ham, Zinchenko had started every game Arsenal had played in the Premier League in 2023. Arteta will certainly want him available for upcoming games against the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea.

With William Saliba and Takehiro Tomiyasu already out, Zinchenko’s absence only adds to Arsenal’s defensive squad issues.