Mikel Arteta provided a number of updates on Arsenal’s illness and injury problems on Saturday, with Eberechi Eze also speaking out on his own setback.
Before Arsenal’s Premier League match against Newcastle United even got underway on Saturday, there was already a minor injury update after Riccardo Calafiori failed to make the squad.
Calafiori had been tipped to feature, but Mikel Arteta explained: “He was very close, but we have certain players that are coming back from injuries and can play certain moments as well, and we need to be balanced in what we need to.”
The Gunners then saw Kai Havertz and Eberechi Eze forced out of the Newcastle match with new injuries, and Gabriel Martinelli limping from the field at full-time with an apparent hamstring concern.
“In relation to the two players [Havertz and Eze], there are muscular niggles,” Arteta said. “We don’t think it’s too much. We have to wait and see if they’re going to be available for Wednesday.
“Eze is a big player for us and he’s in a really good moment. He produced an incredible moment to score the goal. Hopefully he’s fit and he can be with us on Wednesday.
“No I haven’t (spoken to Havertz), but he had a little niggle so I don’t know how serious it is. It didn’t look too big because the action, the way he describes it, is not too sharp, but I have to wait and see.”
Arteta wasn’t asked about Martinelli’s injury, so we have no update on that at this stage, but he did also reveal that Martin Zubimendi was feeling unwell during the game.
“Zubi was sick, and at half-time, he wasn’t feeling good,” Arteta admitted. “He tried his very best. He played a really good game, and in the end, we had to take him off.”
Back on Eze, the player himself told Sky Sports: “I’m alright, I’m all good! It was just precaution.”
It might be difficult for some fans to believe that, given Eze said something similar after his injury against Bayer Leverkusen, only to miss the next few weeks of action. But given Eze’s recent performances, the supporters will have to hope it’s true this time.
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