Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta has provided Gooners with a triple injury update after his side were held to a 1-1 draw by London rivals Brentford in the Premier League.
The Gunners’ already-slim hopes of overhauling Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table suffered another setback at the Emirates, where Yoane Wissa‘s leveller cancelled out a Thomas Partey opener.
Liverpool now only need to win three of their final seven games to guarantee a first-placed finish, although the Champions League has represented Arsenal’s best chance of silverware for a number of months now.
The Gunners will immediately forget about Saturday’s stalemate as they gear up for Wednesday’s daunting trip to Real Madrid, where they have a 3-0 lead to defend after an incredible first-leg performance in the quarter-finals.
However, Arsenal have no fewer than three new concerns to address for the trip to the Bernabeu, as Ben White was ruled out of the Brentford game before kickoff, while Partey and Jorginho were both injured during.
Arteta delivers Partey, White, Jorginho updates before Real Madrid
© Imago
Partey was withdrawn in the 69th minute shortly after his goal, but Arteta could not shed more light on his issue, telling reporters: “He felt something so we didn’t want to take any risks. I haven’t spoken to the doctors yet, so they will check in now and see how he is.”
Meanwhile, Jorginho appeared to be struggling with a chest/abdominal problem after taking a heavy fall, and the Italian had to go off after Arsenal had made all their changes, leaving them with 10 men for the closing stages.
“It looks it, I don’t exactly know, he had problems breathing. He said he could not carry on,” Arteta said of Jorginho, before also being pressed for more information on the knock that kept White out of the side.
“Again, we don’t know. He could not be in the condition to be in the squad today and be selected. We have a few days, but we’ll have to wait and see,” he added.
Arsenal will already be missing Takehiro Tomiyasu, Gabriel Magalhaes, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus at the Bernabeu next week, while Riccardo Calafiori‘s knee problem is not expected to heal in time for the second leg either.
Arsenal could face mini midfield crisis for Real Madrid game
© Imago
If neither Partey nor Jorginho are able to recover from their blows in time for Wednesday’s fixture, Arteta will be deprived of his two most natural number sixes, a killer blow against a Real Madrid side who will be in all-out attack mode.
The only other recognised defensive midfielder in Arsenal’s ranks right now is Jack Henry-Francis, the 21-year-old who is yet to make his senior debut, so Arteta may be forced into a reshuffle.
First-leg hero Declan Rice would be the most natural solution in the number six slot, and even though Arsenal would then lose the Englishman’s exceptional ball-carrying abilities in the left eight role, needs must.
Who fills the Rice role is another question entirely, though, as while Mikel Merino is the obvious choice, Arteta would surely love to field the Spaniard in the central striker’s spot following his recent effectiveness up front.
Instead, Oleksandr Zinchenko – who has been earning more minutes in midfield lately – could make an unexpected start at the Bernabeu, but the medical team will be working overtime to have Partey fit for the battle.
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