Martin Keown feels the injury problems Arsenal have suffered with Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard have thwarted Mikel Arteta’s slim hopes of resting Bukayo Saka.
The Gunners have had to deal with regular absences across their frontline through the early stages of this season. Gabriel Jesus missed the start of the term after requiring surgery for a knee injury. Arteta has since seen Martinelli, Trossard and Saka stay on the sidelines, as well.
Fears are also now rife at Arsenal that Saka may have to miss the visit of Manchester City to Emirates Stadium on Sunday. The 22-year-old suffered a hamstring issue during their defeat at RC Lens on Tuesday. He is now in a race against time to prove that he is fit to still feature.
Keown feels Arsenal’s injury issues have forced Arteta to start Saka
Arteta started Saka at RC Lens in the Champions League despite also sustaining issues as Arsenal played Tottenham Hotspur and AFC Bournemouth. The attacker took a heavy knock to his foot in the north London derby. He then sustained another foot injury at the Cherries.
Both instances and his hamstring injury at RC Lens forced Arteta to take Saka off. While the foot injury he suffered against Spurs saw him miss Arsenal’s Carabao Cup win at Brentford. But Keown has told talkSPORT that Trossard and Martinelli’s injuries have played their part.
Keown said: “I think Arteta, in an ideal world, if he had a bigger squad and other players he could use and he hasn’t been able to do that this year because Martinelli and Trossard have been injured. They’re the two players who probably would have gone into that position.”
Keown is right to highlight Martinelli and Trossard’s absences
Martinelli has missed Arsenal’s past five fixtures after developing a hamstring injury away to Everton. Trossard took the Brazilian’s place on the left at Goodison Park and scored the only goal to win 1-0. But he then sustained a hamstring injury ahead of the north London derby.
Trossard only missed the visit of Tottenham to Emirates Stadium and the Gunners’ match at Brentford. He returned on the seaside at Bournemouth as an unused substitute before then starting at RC Lens. Fabio Vieira took over Saka’s spot on the right in the Champions League.
Had Martinelli not also been out with his own injury, Arteta might have favoured Trossard as Arsenal’s cover for Saka. So, Keown is right to note the Gunners’ other issues have played a role in Arteta’s team choices. But he does have alternatives in Vieira and Reiss Nelson, too.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
