Arsenal have two major fears ahead Everton clash after surprising call-ups
Arsenal has witnessed a significant portion of their main team depart for international commitments.Â
A total of sixteen players have departed from London Colney, but Mikel Arteta is concerned about the well-being of two key players, especially as they prepare to resume Premier League action against Everton on September 17th.
Gabriel Jesus received a last-minute invitation to join the Brazil squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Bolivia and Peru. The striker has taken the place of Manchester United’s Antony in the Selecao lineup.
Jesus has only recently regained full fitness after undergoing minor knee surgery in early August to address discomfort in the same knee that kept him sidelined for three months last season.
He hasn’t represented his national team since sustaining a ligament injury during the World Cup in Qatar last December. Arteta will be keeping his fingers crossed that Jesus can complete the upcoming two matches without encountering any problems.
Jesus found the back of the net for the first time this season during Sunday’s 3-1 victory over Manchester United. His physical condition will undoubtedly play a crucial role in determining Arsenal’s prospects for success this season.
A similar sentiment applies to William Saliba. The central defender has not featured for the French national team since making a single appearance at the World Cup.
A back injury had kept him out of international duty in both March and June. However, Saliba has commenced the season impressively with Arsenal and appears to have fully recovered his physical form.
It appears that he is poised to make an immediate return to action in the Euro 2024 qualifier against the Republic of Ireland today (Thursday).
According to the French publication L’Equipe, Saliba is expected to form a defensive partnership alongside Dayot Upamecano, as Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate is unavailable due to injury.
Saliba’s importance to Arsenal is arguably on par with, if not greater than, that of Jesus. His absence during the final two months of the last season coincided with a significant decline in the Gunners’ performance in the Premier League title race.
Arteta faces a significant challenge in finding a suitable replacement for Saliba if he were to suffer an injury. Jurrien Timber is expected to be sidelined for most of the season due to an anterior cruciate knee ligament injury, and Thomas Partey is not expected to return until at least October due to a groin problem.
At the start of the season, Partey had been deployed at right-back, allowing Ben White to play a more central role. However, the limited options available make it increasingly likely that Arsenal will rely on Saliba to feature in virtually every Premier League and Champions League match in the foreseeable future.
Arteta undoubtedly hopes that none of his players will return from international duty with injuries. However, there may be heightened concerns regarding Jesus and Saliba in particular, given their recent injury histories.
Arsenal have two major fears ahead Everton clash after surprising call-ups
