Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has issued a fresh fitness update on Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Martinelli ahead of the Gunners’ Premier League clash against Southampton.
Mikel Arteta’s men are currently on top of the Premier League table. We’ve lost just one game in all competitions this season, and one of the many reasons behind our success is our luck with injuries.
Arsenal boss Arteta provides fresh Zinchenko and Martinelli fitness update
It’s not like Arsenal have been free from injuries since the start of the season. We’ve lost Emile Smith Rowe and Mohamed Elneny to long-term issues, while Thomas Partey and Zinchenko have had their struggles as well.
Smith Rowe and Elneny are not expected to be back anytime soon, but Arteta is hopeful that Zinchenko will be back in action shortly.
Speaking about the Ukrainian, Arteta said today, as per Arsenal.com: “I think he’s close [to returning]. He’s getting better and better and he’s progressing really well.
“He had a setback on the injury that he had at the start of the season, which is a shame, but knowing Alex, he will be back very soon. “
About Martinelli, Arteta said: ” He had a tough week, he wasn’t feeling great during the week, but towards the day before the game, he was already feeling better and that’s why we decided to play him a little bit (against PSV).
The Insider’s View:
Zinchenko has missed nine games for Arsenal already this season, but thankfully, we have coped really well without him.
The Ukrainian is an excellent player. He’s perfect for Arteta’s system, and his presence in our side makes us very dangerous, especially going forward.
However, Kieran Tierney and Takehiro Tomiyasu have both filled in brilliantly at left-back when called upon, which shows how good our depth is now compared to last season.
The game on Sunday may be a bit too early for Zinchenko, but it looks like Martinelli is fit and he’ll likely start against Southampton at the St Mary’s.
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