Arsenal are optimistic that forwards Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Martinelli will recover from their injuries in time for the crucial north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur.
Arsenal are optimistic that key attacking pair Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Martinelli will be available for the highly anticipated North London Derby against Tottenham Hotspur on November 23, following the upcoming international break.
Striker Gyokeres, 27, was substituted at half-time of Arsenal’s 2-0 victory over Burnley on Saturday after complaining of a muscular issue.
Manager Mikel Arteta has since confirmed that the Swede is unavailable for the mid-week Champions League fixture against Slavia Prague and will also miss the weekend’s Premier League trip to Sunderland. All efforts are now focused on having him fit after the break.
Arteta expressed concern over the forward’s condition at his pre-match press conference on Monday: “I am concerned because he hasn’t had many muscular issues and he had to leave the pitch. He was feeling something and that’s obviously never a good sign.
Especially for a player that is very, very explosive, so we are digging in a little bit more to understand where we are in terms of the injury and we will announce it when we know more.”
The situation is similar for Brazil international Martinelli, 24, who picked up a muscular injury during the 1-0 win against Crystal Palace on October 26.
The winger has been left out of Brazil’s November international squad to aid his recovery, and is also targeting a return swiftly after domestic football resumes.
The club is also optimistic about the wider injury list, hoping that longer-term absentees Noni Madueke, Kai Havertz, and Martin Odegaard, alongside striker Gabriel Jesus, could also be close to rejoining the squad for the derby.
Arteta addressed the impending returns generally, stating: “It’s difficult to put a game, you know — we have the international break, which is a two-week break there.
And after that, I think we’ll have some back. I don’t know if it’s going to be all of them or some of them, but we’ll be quite close by then.”