Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta will be hoping he can use the international break to get some of his players free of injury and back to full fitness. The Gunners don’t play again until Saturday April 1 when Leeds visit the Emirates in the Premier League.
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag recently claimed Arsenal have had a fully-fit squad for most of the season. But that has actually been far from the case.
Mohamed Elneny missed several months at the beginning of the campaign and will now be out for most of 2023 after suffering an anterior cruciate knee ligament injury. Takehiro Tomiyasu has also suffered a knee problem which could rule him out of the remaining matches this term.
Gabriel Jesus and Emile Smith Rowe have also both had significant spells on the sidelines, while Thomas Partey has not been available for every game. Jesus and Smith Rowe are two players Arteta will be hoping for some good news on during the international break.
Both are back fit and came off the bench in Sunday’s 4-1 win over Crystal Palace. However, these two weeks could be vital for them to return to as near as 100 per cent fitness as possible.
Jesus was not named in the Brazil squad so can spend this fortnight working on his fitness. He is yet to start a Premier League match since his return.
Arteta will be hoping he can be available to make more of a sustained impact after the break following three cameo performances. Smith Rowe, meanwhile, has been unable to break into the Arsenal team since he recovered from a thigh problem.
He has played just 81 minutes across Arsenal’s last eight matches despite being named in the squad for each of them. The 22-year-old has largely been the forgotten man this season due to his fitness concerns.
Smith Rowe has a perfect chance to get up to speed after being named in the England under-21 squad. He will be hoping to get valuable game time against France on Saturday and Croatia next Tuesday.
Two players currently missing through injury are William Saliba and Eddie Nketiah. The international break gives both players the chance to edge close to their respective returns.
Saliba has a back problem and pulled out of the France squad. Arteta was unable to put a timescale on the issue but will be hoping he is back next month.
Meanwhile, Arteta said last Wednesday that Nketiah was still a few weeks away from a return. The Leeds clash may come too soon but he will be hoping to be back as soon as possible to provide a different attacking option.
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