Arsenal injury news: Breaking news from America and London Colney during pre-season as Mikel Arteta battles through friendlies with some absences after impressive start against MLS All-Stars
Arsenal got off to a perfect start to their American tour with a crushing 5-0 win over an MLS All-Star team led by Wayne Rooney.
In a game of stunning goalscoring, sparkling attacking play and 22 different stars in action for the Gunners, Mikel Arteta has plenty to be excited about. Declan Rice came off the bench to make his debut, Takehiro Tomiyasu continued his recovery from injury while Jurrien Timber also made his first appearance.
Kai Havertz started with brilliant shooting, but first-half goals from Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard stole the show in Washington, DC. All in all, it was the perfect way for Arsenal to start their preparations for the 2023-24 season, following a 1-1 draw with Germany’s Nuremberg last week as a warm-up.
Any concerns about Martin Odegaard, who was substituted late in the squad last week, were quickly allayed after he came off the bench to play in the second half. The club captain missed the first game along with Trossard, Marquinhos and Rob Holding.
The latter was the only player not to play in America, as both Trossard, starter, and Marquinhos were involved. Holding was part of the MLS All-Star skill challenge competition presented the day before the game.
Despite his brilliant finish from outside the penalty area, Trossard was an injury to Arteta. “Trossard has been hit and we don’t want to take any chances at this stage,” he said later. “He was in a bit of pain. We’ll see how he is tomorrow but I don’t expect it to be much.”
The Belgian striker, returned to midfield following a tactical change, was replaced in the second half in a reserve group.
Next on the agenda is a more difficult task for Arsenal. They meet Premier League rivals Manchester United on Saturday night before taking on Barcelona as preparations unfold. Arteta may also be able to rely on Thomas Partey and Emile Smith Rowe in the upcoming games. The midfield duo have been left out of the tour’s first squad, with Smith Rowe taking time off after a successful European Under-21 Championship with England. Partey is heavily linked with a move as a potential Saudi Pro League exit remains up in the air, but for now he is expected to join the Gunners and prepare for it.
Gabriel Martinelli was back in the squad and featured on the goalscoring list, but Mohamed Elneny and Oleksandr Zinchenko were both absent. Nicolas Pepe and Albert Sambi Lokonga remain out through injury, while Cedric and Nuno Tavares are also recovering at London Colney and are unlikely to travel to America.
According to football.london, Reiss Nelson is the only other injury so far after a laceration to his foot. Although not necessarily serious, he would miss the rest of the tour after being dropped from the squad.
Guard Matt Turner is also out of action, having just returned from USMNT duty. “Obviously he needed a vacation because it’s been a very long year for him,” Arteta said.
“I don’t know how many competitions he took part in, but there were so many and that’s why he needed a break. When his break is over, he will be back with us.
As for the future of Arteta and the team, the Spanish coach was happy with the physical nature of the game and sees it as the next step. “No, I wanted it to be as competitive as possible and for players who have only played 45 minutes, we will build on those minutes in future games,” he explained.
“We knew he was an opponent mid-season. We struggled a bit with the heat and conditions and also to adjust to the pitch. It’s part of the pre-season process and also finding a way to win.”
