‘Nasty injury’: Mikel Arteta confirms 23-year-old Arsenal player definitely won’t play vs Sporting today
Mikel Arteta, the Arsenal manager, has given an update on Eddie Nketiah’s injury prior to the Europa League match against Sporting Lisbon scheduled for Thursday.
The Gunners drew 2-2 in the first leg in Portugal last week, and despite their lackluster performance, they still have a good chance of advancing to the next round.
Unfortunately, Nketiah was absent from last week’s match and appears to be unavailable for Thursday’s game as well.
In December, Gabriel Jesus was confirmed to undergo surgery, leaving Arsenal dependent on Nketiah.
The 23-year-old Englishman rose to the occasion and performed admirably as the Gunners’ main striker, even scoring crucial goals.
Unfortunately, Nketiah’s form dipped in February, prompting speculation about the cause.
During a press conference, Arteta disclosed that Nketiah had been playing through an injury, which now appears to sideline him for a few weeks.
During the press conference before the match against Sporting, Mikel Arteta was asked about Eddie Nketiah’s condition.
The Arsenal manager stated that the striker had sustained a “nasty injury.”
According to Charles Watts of Goal, who was present at the press conference in London Colney, Arteta said: : “We have to be patient. It was a nasty injury and he has a big challenge ahead of him, it could have been worse.”
Additionally, Arteta confirmed that Nketiah will be out of action for several more weeks, indicating that the injury is significant enough to require a prolonged recovery period.
As a result, the striker will be unavailable for the upcoming matches, including the Europa League game against Sporting Lisbon.
It is undoubtedly disappointing that Nketiah has sustained an injury at such a crucial time in the season.
However, Arsenal seems to be in good shape at the moment, with Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard returning from injuries and making a significant impact.
Additionally, Gabriel Martinelli has also demonstrated his worth as a striker in recent matches.
Despite this, Arsenal supporters would undoubtedly prefer to have Nketiah back in the squad as soon as possible as they head into the business end of the season.
Nonetheless, the team appears to be in good hands under Arteta’s guidance, and the fans can look forward to some exciting matches in the coming weeks.
‘Nasty injury’: Mikel Arteta confirms 23-year-old Arsenal player definitely won’t play vs Sporting today
