Arsenal Injury Update: Key Stars Could Return Against Brentford
Mikel Arteta has delivered quietly optimistic injury updates regarding three crucial Arsenal players ahead of Thursday night's Premier League encounter with Brentford. The Gunners aim to preserve their six-point advantage at the summit of the league table as they visit an in-form Brentford side.
Brentford's Form and Arsenal's Momentum
Keith Andrews' Brentford squad secured a significant 3-2 victory against Newcastle United at St James' Park last weekend, demonstrating their resilience by losing only two of their previous ten matches across all competitions. Meanwhile, Arsenal seeks to build upon consecutive Premier League triumphs against Leeds United and Sunderland.
Mikel Merino's Long-Term Absence
Mikel Merino sustained a foot fracture during the defeat to Manchester United last month, despite scoring as a substitute in that match. The midfielder underwent surgery on Monday and shared a positive message online regarding the procedure.
Arteta commented on Wednesday: "I think the doctors were really happy with the way [the surgery] went. Now it's the start of, obviously, a long process; we're talking about bone healing. So, we'll respect the timings, and I'm sure he's going to do everything he possibly can to speed up that recovery. The time frames we're talking about are months - whether it's three, four or five, we don't know."
Potential return date: Unknown
Max Dowman's Progress
Teenage sensation Max Dowman has been sidelined since mid-December due to ankle ligament damage. Initial hopes suggested the 16-year-old midfielder might be available for the upcoming North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur.
This week, Arteta stated: "He's doing very well, I think he will be with us in a week or so, and then he can pick up the rhythm and be available for us."
Potential return date: Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal, February 22
Bukayo Saka's Hip Issue
Bukayo Saka was scheduled to start against Leeds United at Elland Road in late January but withdrew after experiencing a niggle during the warm-up. The England international has been grappling with a hip problem, missing the Carabao Cup fixture against Chelsea and the victory over Sunderland on Saturday.
Last week, Arteta hinted that Saka would return 'very soon' and offered no indication of setbacks on Wednesday, simply stating 'we will see' when questioned about an update.
Potential return date: Brentford v Arsenal, February 12
Martin Odegaard's Niggle
Mikel Arteta's cryptic 'we will see' response also pertained to club captain Martin Odegaard. Previously, the Arsenal manager estimated the midfielder's recovery time as 'a matter of days' before the Sunderland match, but the 27-year-old ultimately did not feature in the squad.
Odegaard has missed the last two games due to the niggle but might be in contention for Thursday night's clash with Brentford.
Potential return date: Brentford v Arsenal, February 12
Leandro Trossard's Knock
Arsenal winger Leandro Trossard provided an assist and delivered a strong performance against Sunderland over the weekend but was substituted in the 89th minute. While this could have been routine given the match's stage, the Belgian appeared to sustain an injury issue.
This seems to be merely a knock, with Arteta grouping Trossard alongside Saka and Odegaard as players potentially returning on Thursday.
Potential return date: Brentford v Arsenal, February 12
