A host of Arsenal players are still considered to be significant doubts for the trip to Bournemouth, although Mikel Arteta could have most available.
Arsenal have had good trips to the south coast lately, and the Vitality Stadium could be considered a happy hunting ground, especially during Mikel Arteta’s reign. In fact, the Spanish manager began his tenure as Arsenal manager at the Vitality in a draw but has since won each of their home and away encounters with the Cherries.
During his pre-match press conference, the focus was on the numerous fitness concerns plaguing the squad, with Arteta providing an update on most cases. Kai Havertz missed the international break with Germany, citing ‘knee issues’ as the reason.
While it was widely considered a strategy to manage his load, assuming the attacker has been everpresent and constantly running in games this season, a timely rest and recovery might have been in order. Arteta’s comments did not indicate outwardly as any ‘knee issue’ might suggest.
Arteta said, “He had a few issues and we’ve been dealing with that. He’s been absolutely brilliant, he has very good communication with the national team, with the manager. They understood the situation, we modified everything that we could do here and again. If he trains well today, he’s got a good chance to be fit and available.”
Bukayo Saka was the most significant source of worry as he limped off the pitch while on England duty, clutching the back of his thigh. A hamstring issue has since been reported, although there are no further updates on whether he misses games, meaning it might have only been tightness. Either way, Arteta confirmed it was not a serious injury and remained hopeful he could return to the fold.
On Saka, Arteta said, “It’s not a serious injury. He’s evolving really well. He’s done a few things in the last two days. He wasn’t fit enough to play with the national team the second game but we are hopeful. We have a training session this afternoon, he did some bits yesterday, so let’s see if he can make it on time.”
Adding to the worry was Gabriel Martinelli, who had a slight problem while playing for Brazil. While Arteta did not set the alarm bells off, he was still a bit more cautious with his words about the left-winger, although there’s a big chance he could feature from the start.
There are still some more concerns about Thomas Partey, Jurrien Timber, and Ben White. Among those, the latter might remain out of contention, although there is a chance Timber returns to action, while the Ghanaian midfielder is also expected to be fit.
Taking all the fitness concerns reported in the media with a pinch of salt, it might be a case that Arteta will have his strongest eleven available to start despite those issues. He could revert to a familiar backline, with Timber likely returning in the right back spot, while William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Riccardo Calafiori all keep their places.
Thomas Partey and Declan Rice should return to their midfield double pivot in a version of the 4-4-2, with Saka and Martinelli providing the width. Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard are expected to start up front, with either forwards often switching roles and dropping deep.
Predicted Lineup (4-4-2): Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Saka, Partey, Rice, Martinelli; Havertz, Trossard
