Arsenal injury news: Mikel Arteta will be without versatile defender Tomiyasu for the remainder of this campaign, but remains more hopeful over other injury concerns
Arsenal face a nervous fortnight as many of their key title protagonists will be plying their trade away from north London during the final international break of the season. This is always an anxious time for Premier League managers, as the players selected for their national sides are taken out of their control.
The Gunners were able to win in impressive style against Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon without a number of injured first-team players, including the likes of Tomiyasu, William Saliba and Eddie Nketiah. Arteta will be hoping for better news with regards to Saliba and Nketiah's return dates as the title run-in gathers momentum during a hectic final two months of the season.
What Arteta has said: "We hope Willy [Saliba] is going to be better news. Again We have to wait to tomorrow to get a better picture."
Expected return date: Unknown
An official club statement reads: "Tomi has had successful surgery in London on Tuesday and will be ruled out for the remainder of this season. Everyone at the club will now be working hard with Tomi, so he can join pre-season training ahead of next season."
What Arteta has said: "We don’t know. The doctor is assessing. We have one assessment and I think they need to have another assessment tomorrow. It’s not looking good. Tomi is not one to exaggerate things. He was really concerned straight away and we are concerned."
Expected return date: June
Nketiah, who sees his contract at the Emirates Stadium expire in 2027, has featured 33 times for Arsenal this season, directly contributing towards 11 goals — four of which came in wins over West Ham, Brighton and Manchester United during the congested schedule over New Years.
What Nketiah has said: Nketiah has offered a positive update on his recovery after posting a message on social media ahead of the clash against the Eagles. The Hale End graduate said: “Grafting! *muscle emoji* #SoonBack.”
Nketiah added another image to his Instagram story with the caption: “Rehab crew, monster mentality *brain emoji* *finger point emoji*."
What Arteta has said: "He’s getting better. He’s still in the boot. He’s still a few weeks away and we need to be patient. It was a nasty injury and he has a big challenge ahead of him. Thank God it could have been worse. So he’s not in a bad place."
Expected return date: Late March/Early April
Elneny started in the FA Cup win over Oxford United and played the whole 90 minutes. However, the Egyptian was absent for Arteta's squad for the 2-0 win at Tottenham, with a knee issue picked up in training ahead of the clash being assessed. Additionally, there was no place on the bench to face Manchester United.
A club statement last month then confirmed that the former Basel man will be out for an extended period of time, although no timescale was given on his expected return. Elneny has since penned a new deal at Arsenal as he closes in on a return.
Expected return date: N/A