More Bad News For Arsenal

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard had to be helped off the field with an ankle injury during Norway’s win over Austria on Monday. The Arsenal captain boarded a flight back to England on crutches. That is more bad news for Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta as a north London derby at Tottenham Hotspur awaits this weekend. Recently acquired defender Riccardo Calafiore suffered a calf injury during this international break and left the Italian team for treatment back in England. Another Gunners newcomer, Mikel Merino, was unavailable for Spain this break because he fractured his shoulder on his first day of training with Arsenal. Declan Rice, meanwhile, is healthy and even scored a goal for England versus Ireland but is suspended for Sunday’s Premier League match after his red card versus Brighton prior to the break.

The availability issues increase the challenge for Arsenal against their rivals in a match which seems more important than it should be in just the fourth week of the season. Arsenal disappointingly dropped points in the 1-1 draw with Brighton. Serial Premier League titlist Manchester City, meanwhile, remains perfect as does a Liverpool side which does not seem diminished by the departure of iconic manager Jurgen Klopp. More dropped points from the Gunners, particularly against rival Spurs, would most certainly fray the nerves of Arsenal supporters.

Now Arteta must puzzle what his lineup will look like. The manager could call on former Chelsea man Jorginho in Rice’s place for the game against Spurs. That is if the Italian international is still a Gunner. Rumors are circulating this week that Turkish side Galatasaray is seeking to acquire Jorginho before the Turkish window closes September 13. The midfielder is restless after not seeing the pitch in Arsenal’s first three matches. That could change this weekend. If Odegaard is out, we could see super sub Leandro Trossard begin the match although where he would play is another question. The Belgian could slide directly into Odegaard’s vacated spot in midfield. Alternatively, Trossard could play up front with one-time central midfielder Kai Havertz dropping deeper from his current forward role.

Taking over Trossard’s “spark plug” off the bench role might then be the newly acquired Raheem Sterling. The Premier League veteran is poised to debut for his fourth “top six” club after Chelsea shuffled him off to Arsenal on loan in notorious fashion before the window closed. Sterling featured for Chelsea during preseason but then was abruptly told he was not in the plans of Chelsea Manager Enzo Maresca. Forbidden to train with the Chelsea regulars and stripped of his uniform number, Sterling was then quickly shipped off to Arsenal amid uproar over his poor treatment. Chelsea will reportedly be paying the greater part of Sterling’s wages as Arsenal becomes the beneficiary of Chelsea’s self-induced drama. The former Liverpool and Manchester City winger might also be a candidate to replace the underperforming Gabriel Martinelli in Arteta’s lineup against Spurs. Sterling has had success in the past against Arsenal’s rival, scoring six goals and notching five assists in 21 Premier League appearances versus Tottenham Hotspur.

Finally, some good news for the Gunners is that Gabriel Jesus could return from a groin injury which has kept him out of the last two matches. The Brazilian’s readiness and Arteta’s willingness to employ him remain a bit fuzzy, however. The manager though will need as many hands as possible on deck over the next two weeks. After the weekend’s derby, Arsenal plays a Champions League match in Italy the following Thursday at Atalanta. Three days after Atalanta comes a Premier League match that the entire world will be watching when the Gunners pay a visit to Manchester City.