Arsenal play their first Premier League game on Friday the 13th and the Gunners will be without three key first-team players for their season opener.
The first and perhaps the biggest absentee will be Thomas Partey who picked up a knock against Chelsea and apart from the midfielder, Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel are also out for a few weeks.
Arsenal released an official statement that read: “Thomas Partey – Right ankle. Thomas sustained an injury to ligaments in his right ankle during the friendly match against Chelsea last Sunday.
“Thomas continues to be assessed and is expected to be back in training in approximately three weeks.
“Eddie Nketiah – Right ankle. Eddie sustained bruising to his right ankle during the friendly match against Chelsea last Sunday. Eddie continues to be assessed and is expected to be back in training in approximately four weeks.
“Gabriel Magalhaes – Right knee. Gabriel sustained an injury to his right knee whilst with the Brazilian Olympic Squad.
“Gabriel is currently being assessed and is aiming to be back in training in the forthcoming weeks.”
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These three players will miss the 2021/22 Premier League season opener against Brentford and they are also likely to be absent for their second game vs Chelsea on the 22nd of August.
Eddie Nketiah has been put up for sale by Mikel Arteta so if a good bid comes in, he will likely be sold before deadline day.
But, the injuries to Gabriel and Thomas Partey are a big blow for the Gunners, especially since they take on Chelsea in just their second game of the new campaign.
Chelsea will be a force to be reckoned with this season, especially since they are now bringing in Romelu Lukaku. And without players like Gabriel and Thomas, it will be really difficult for Arsenal to keep a team like Chelsea at bay.
