In the hours before Arsenal takes on Sevilla at Emirates Stadium in the Champions League, Mikkel Arteta has suffered yet another new injury setback. Four days after losing to West Ham in the Carabao Cup, the Gunners lost to Newcastle at St. James’ Park on Saturday in their first Premier League loss of the season. The game was marred by controversy.
A new injury has been sustained by Eddie Nketiah ahead of Arsenal’s Champions League matchup with Sevilla.
Eddie Nketiah has missed training, which is bad news for Arsenal fans as Mikel Arteta faces a second fitness setback ahead of the Gunners’ Champions League match against Sevilla.
Despite having the opportunity to be sent off, Kai Havertz and Bruno Guimaraes were both booked at a furious finale to the opening forty-five minutes. The Magpies’ winning goal was also hotly contested for a variety of reasons. Arsenal issued a statement on the matter on Sunday, claiming that VAR had examined potential fouls, handballs, and offside in addition to determining whether Joe Willock had kept the ball in play. After a protracted investigation, it was determined that the goal was entirely legitimate.
Arteta was left fuming after the goal decided the game, and he did not hold back in his news conference following the game. “We have to talk about the result because you have to talk about how the hell this goal stand ups and it’s incredible,” he stated.
“I feel embarrassed but I have to be the one now coming here to try to defend the club and please ask for help, because it’s an absolute disgrace that this goal is allowed; it’s an absolute disgrace.” Arteta has been dealt a bad hand lately; the Hammers’ cup opener last week was also contentious, but VAR was powerless to step in because it wasn’t played until the semi-final of that competition.
With Thomas Partey down once more with Emile Smith Rowe and Martin Odegaard joining him, injuries have also been a frequent source of frustration for the Arsenal manager. Both of the attackers were unable to make the trip to Tyneside; Smith Rowe has a fresh knock that is expected to keep him out for several weeks, and Odegaard was tending to a hip issue.
Positive news on either appears improbable given that neither was observed during Arsenal’s public training session at London Colney, and another important senior star was also not noticed there. In the 79th minute of the match against Newcastle, Eddie Nketiah was taken off the field because it seemed like Arteta was attempting a different strategy, but his training absence ahead of the Sevilla game suggests otherwise.
Fortunately for Arsenal, football.london is aware that the striker is recovering from a blow sustained against Newcastle. He might still play against Sevilla because it’s thought that the knock is not significant. That would explain why, during his news conference on Tuesday morning, Arteta only provided a limited injury update, stating that Odegaard’s availability is unknown and that Gabriel Jesus will not play in the game.
Nketiah’s availability is crucial because Jesus is out, and his absence from training is probably a precautionary measure to allow him to heal even more before Wednesday night’s match against Sevilla.
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