Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been handed a welcome injury boost, as one of his key players could return to full fitness earlier than anticipated.
Arsenal's full injury and absentee list
The north Londoners play host to newly promoted Leicester City in the Premier League this afternoon – their first home game this month – after a trio of challenging away games in the space of a single week.
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Arteta’s side took the North London derby spoils with a 1-0 victory at Tottenham two weeks ago and secured their first Champions League point of the season away to Atalanta just a few days afterwards, largely thanks to David Raya’s heroic double-save in Bergamo to keep it 0-0.
Arsenal were then unlucky not to beat title rivals Man City at the Etihad Stadium, holding a 2-1 lead for the majority of the game despite having just 10 men after Leandro Trossard’s sending-off.
Leicester City (home)
September 28
Southampton (home)
October 5
Bournemouth (away)
October 19
Liverpool (home)
October 27
Newcastle United (away)
November 2
Riccardo Calafiori’s screamer and a header from Gabriel Magalhaes cancelled out Erling Haaland’s opener, but a late leveller from John Stones in added time ultimately broke Arsenal’s hearts.
On paper, Leicester shouldn’t pose as much of a threat on home turf at 3pm, but Arsenal won’t be able to call upon a few key players for the occasion. Club captain Martin Odegaard remains sidelined with ankle ligament damage, while Takehiro Tomiyasu’s knee injury means he is yet to appear this season and won’t be back for Leicester.
Oleksandr Zinchenko is out for weeks alongside Odegaard as well, and it is believed Kieran Tierney is still out after suffering a hamstring injury during the Euros with Scotland.
Goalkeeper David Raya is also a doubt for Leicester City, with the Spaniard facing a late fitness test to determine whether Arteta can call upon him this afternoon. Leandro Trossard is suspended for Arsenal’s clash with the Foxes.
Arteta handed Mikel Merino injury boost at Arsenal
The game also comes too soon for summer signing Mikel Merino, who is yet to make his debut for the club after fracturing his shoulder in training.
Initial reports claimed Merino would be out until mid-October at the earliest, and the Spain international would be forced to wait until after the international break next month to make his return to the fold.
However, in a boost for Arsenal, manager Arteta has confirmed that Merino could now return from injury as soon as next week.
“Tomorrow [against Leicester] is too soon. Next week we’ll see,” said Arteta.
“He had partial training today. He’s been working so hard. It’s looking good. It’s about the healing of the bone and how mature that is to expose him to contact basically. We are trying to keep him in the cage, because he has been pushing everybody – all the physios, all the doctors, everybody!
“He is ready to go and he really wants it. I think we are comfortable now to start exposing him with contact and he looked really good in training.”
Having the 28-year-old back as an option will be pivotal for the left side of Arsenal’s midfield, as it gives Arteta a fantastic option in defensive and offensive departments.
Merino bagged eight goals and five assists across 45 appearances in all competitions for Real Sociedad last term and won more duels than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues (OptaJoe).
