Mikel Arteta issues injury updates on Saka, Martinelli, Havertz, Partey, Odegaard, Timber and White
Mikel Arteta has just spoken to the press ahead of Arsenal’s game with Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon.
The Gunners boss delivered injury updates on several key members of his squad, including the latest on Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Thomas Partey and captain Martin Odegaard.
Here is a selection of what he had to say.
On Bukayo Saka: “It’s not a serious injury. He has evolved really well. He’s done some things in the last two days. Obviously he wasn’t fit enough to play with the national team in 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.”
On Kai Havertz: “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 and he understood the situation. Obviously we had to modify everything that we could do here and again, if he trains well today he has a good chance to be fit and available.”
On Gabriel Martinelli: “With Gabi he landed yesterday afternoon here. So we had a very short time to be with him. Yesterday he went outside to do a little bit and to see how he was feeling and today will be another step [to] understand whether we want to take the risk on if he is fit because I know what the player is going to say. [He is going to say] ‘I’m going to be fit for sure’.”
On Thomas Partey: “Thomas is fit, yes.”
On Martin Odegaard: “He’s not fit for this game. Next week will be a different story. But in that later stage of rehab where he is at the moment, because he is already doing a lot of stuff, he needs to clear some markers, he needs to clear certain things. He needs to be comfortable, especially with the ball. Next week will be crucial to understand how close he is.”
On whether Odegaard will return at some point before the next international break: “Yes. Hopefully yes.”
On Ben White, Jurrien Timber and Oleksandr Zinchenko: “They are quite close the three of them. Today we have to try and push because we are a bit struggling with the numbers, esepcially in our right side. But hopefully we will have some positive news and we will have some players back tomorrow.”
On Takehiro Tomiyasu: “It doesn’t look like hopefully a long period, but we have to see when he comes back how he reacts to the load and to the impact on the pitch. We really need him. He’s been incredible, the amount of hours that he’s put in to get back. He did it, was in great shape and now he’s got something else again. But we are all behind him. He needs our support and hopefully he will be fine.”