Arsenal star now issues big Mikel Arteta plea as he shrugs off injury ‘problems’

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Arsenal midfielder Emile Smith Rowe has spoken out about his desire for more game time. 

Emile Smith Rowe is very much on the fringes of the Arsenal squad. 

So far this season, the Hale End academy graduate has featured just 12 times for the north London club, across all competitions. Only 6 of those appearances have come in the Premier League, with 5 of those outings coming from the bench.

It was a similar story for Smith Rowe last season. Over the course of that campaign, the 23-year-old only played 15 times for the club across all competitions, and didn’t start a single Premier League game.

Injuries have decimated the last two years of Smith Rowe’s career. The arrivals of Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz at the Emirates Stadium have also pushed the three-cap England international further down the pecking order.

This state of affairs has led to plenty of speculation about the player’s future. Former Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew expects Smith Rowe to leave Arsenal in the near future, perhaps even in the current January transfer window. 

However, Mikel Arteta has recently insisted that Smith Rowe remains a player he values highly and has a place in his plans for. 

In truth, though, at this stage in his career, the midfielder needs to be playing regular football. There is also no doubting that if he can get his confidence, form, and fluency back that he can still shine at Premier League level.

Emile Smith Rowe wants more Arsenal opportunities

It should not be forgotten how good Smith Rowe was when he was last fully fit and playing regularly for Arsenal. Over the course of the 2021/22 Premier League season, he made 33 appearances and contributed 10 goals.

Arsenal fans will be desperate to see Smith Rowe get back to this level whilst still wearing red and white. As a home-grown talent, who has been on the books with the club since he was ten-years-old, it is natural for the supporters to want to see him succeed.

The good news is that Smith Rowe is now once again fully fit and ready to make an impact on the pitch if given the opportunities to play. As quoted by the club’s official website, he has recently discussed his recovery and eagerness to get back into the starting XI.

He said, “I’m feeling good now – I’ve been back in training for a while and it’s all good at the moment. I don’t think I did anything differently in rehab, I just felt a lot better with it this time. At first we thought the injury would be a bit longer, but I started feeling really good after just a few weeks, so then I kicked on and I’m feeling good now as well.”

Smith Rowe has made a couple of substitute appearances in recent weeks, which have got him eager for more. He stated, “I’ve had no problems, so now I’m not thinking about the injury at all. It’s behind me and I want to kick on by getting on the pitch. The team has been doing so well lately and of course I want to be part of that, and to get involved as soon as possible.