•Coach Mikel Arteta
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed Viktor Gyokeres will miss today’s Champions League clash away to Slavia Prague after he became the latest Gunners’ forward to be sidelined by injury.
The Sweden striker did not train yesterday after being substituted with a muscle problem during the Premier League leaders’ 2-0 win over Burnley last weekend, reports AFP.
Arteta is now waiting to discover the full extent of Gyokeres’s injury, with the Gunners boss telling a pre-match press conference: “I am concerned because he hasn’t had many muscular issues and he had to leave the pitch and he was feeling something.
“That’s obviously never a good sign, especially for a player that is very, very explosive. So we are digging in a little bit more to understand where we are in terms of the injury and we’ll announce the moment we know.”
The Spaniard added: “He’s definitely not available (to play Slavia). He hasn’t trained today. We need to do some more tests and scans in the next few days to understand the extent of the injury.”
Gyokeres joins a lengthy list of absentees from Arsenal’s attacking and creative ranks, with Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, Noni Madueke and Martin Odegaard all sidelined.
Arsenal, however, will still be going in search of a 10th straight win in all competitions, and an eighth consecutive clean sheet, against Slavia Prague, with Mikel Merino — who replaced Gyokeres at Burnley — in contention to start in the Czech capital.
London club Arsenal — seeking a first English top-flight title since 2004 — are six points clear of second-placed Manchester City at the top of the Premier League and seven ahead of reigning champions Liverpool.
Fixture pile-up
The Gunners, yet to be crowned champions of Europe, have also won all of their three opening Champions League fixtures.
But fighting on several fronts could yet pose problems regarding fixture congestion, with Arteta urging the Premier League to move Arsenal’s match against Everton to avoid the Gunners’ playing two games in three days.
The English Football League announced yesterday the League Cup quarter-final between Arsenal and Crystal Palace had been moved to December 23. It had been due to be played on December 16 but that would have left Palace with four games in eight days.
Now, both capital clubs are set to play two matches in three days, with Palace and Arsenal due to be in league action on December 21.
“Hopefully they will move our Premier League match, because to play two days later doesn’t make any sense,” said Arteta.
“So now we decide the date (for the League Cup match) I am sure they will change the Premier League (match) as well.”
He added: “We have seven players out, so I don’t know what depth we’re talking about now because we’re missing a lot of players, a lot of front players.
“If we continue to do that every three days… we want respecting again. What we discussed previously (on player welfare), that in our opinion it’s the most important part.”
