Arsenal are yet to suffer a loss in the Premier League this season but their 2-2 draw vs Tottenham last weekend was a bit of a setback for them in terms of the title challenge.
The draw means the Gunners are now fifth on the league table but they will be looking to get back into the top four by beating AFC Bournemouth this weekend.
The Cherries are 17th on the table and they are yet to pick up a league win this season. Also, Arsenal haven’t lost to Bournemouth in their last seven meetings and the kind of form they are in right now, this one should be an easy three-pointer for the North London side.
The Gunners played a Carabao Cup game in midweek and on Tuesday they take on Lens in a Champions League away game which means Mikel Arteta will have to make sure he does not overwork his players and add names to the long injury list.
Arsenal’s team news and injury updates:
Jurrien Timber has undergone knee surgery to repair his anterior cruciate ligament and the summer signing will take several months to return to first-team action. Timber’s absence means Ben White will continue in the right-back role.
Bukayo Saka picked up a foot knock in the North London Derby and his manager has claimed that the England international is a doubt for the Bournemouth game on Saturday.
The Arsenal boss said in midweek: ‘He was limping quite badly after the match. We had to get him off the field, which is never a good sign as well. He hasn’t been able to participate in the session. It’s a possibility, yes [that he could miss the Bournemouth game].’
If Saka is unavailable then it will be a big blow for Arsenal because Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard are also missing with injuries and neither of them will be fit in time.
Saka’s knock is not serious but if he’s not given the green light then Reiss Nelson and Gabriel Jesus will be the two wide players.
Declan Rice picked up a back injury recently but his knock is not serious which means the summer signing won’t be out for a long time. However, there is a very slim chance that he will be fully fit to play against Bournemouth because the midfielder is yet to return to training.
Arteta has said: ‘Declan hasn’t trained yet. He could not carry on in the game; he wasn’t comfortable at all. Hopefully, it’s not something big. We are confident. He’s still uncomfortable, but hopefully, he will progress in the next few days. It’s a tough one.’
Thomas Partey is ahead of schedule in his recovery process but he still needs a few more weeks before he can return on the pitch.
Mikel Arteta has Kai Havertz in his squad but the Arsenal manager has preferred Nketiah as his main centre-forward.
Arsenal predicted line up vs Bournemouth:
Predicted Starting line up(4-3-3): Raya; Ben White, Gabriel, Saliba, Zinchenko; Jorginho, Havertz, Odegaard; Reiss Nelson, Jesus, Nketiah.
