Arsenal have confirmed that Thomas Partey, Mohamed Elneny and Sead Kolasinac will all miss Sunday’s trip to Elland Road.
The Ghana international picked up a thigh injury in the first half of the 3-0 defeat to Aston Villa and worryingly, despite a couple of weeks of intense rehab at London Colney, still hasn’t recovered.
Elneny and Kolasinac both have to sit out the game after contracting Covid-19. The duo are both asymptomatic but have to follow strict protocols before rejoining the group following the Interlull.
It’s believed the Egyptian is due to fly back to England in a private jet with Mo Salah, who also tested positive, after sitting out the second of the Pharaohs’ two Interlull clashes with Togo.
Given the rules around self-isolation, we’re assuming both will be out of Thursday’s trip to Norway as well.
In more positive news, Pablo Mari and Gabriel Martinelli are closing in on returns from their lengthy injuries. Both are involved in first-team sessions to varying degrees and will be hoping to play competitively before the end of the year.
Mikel Arteta is due to speak to the press on Friday morning, so we’ll know soon enough whether there are any other developments on the injury front.
Its incredibly unlucky that Partey has to be left out. He’s a player who almost never was injured at Athletico and comes to Arsenal and immediately picks up something. Tottenham has voodoo priests on their pay roll.
Only if Voodo priests are cunts .. I went through their books and it turns out thats all they employ.
I presume we still have our Lasagna-gate chef in the payroll
Tottenham has voodoo priests on their pay roll. Hahahaha 😂😂😂😂😂
Boooo
The scene is set for Arteta to play 3 atb hahaha.
I love Arteta but seeing how Leeds love to attack I won’t be surprised if we go with 3atb.. especially with no Partey
Leno
Bellerin Holding Gabriel Tiereny AMN/Saka
Xhaka Ceballos
Pepe Auba Saka/Nelson
Please Arteta
Gabigoal!
Yeeeeeeeah, so I’ve written this game off in my head already.
No doubt Leeds have a squad of fully fit players chomping at the bit to grind us further into the mud after all the pain we inflicted on them in 2004/5.
Getting a good feeling about this game
Bielsa attack against us with nobody controlling the midfield and/or driving the ball forward? Just Xhaka sideways and Ceballos running into brick walls. Nice. Look forward to it…
I’d say play Willock in this game. We need dynamism.
Understandable, but frustrating nonetheless.
Xhaka and Ceballos I guess.
All the mystery and magic of a tuna sandwich.
My favourite comment today
That is just so Arsenal; player joins and is almost immediately injured – what’re the odds….?!?
3/1
I’m glad those reports saying ‘Partey will be fine for Leeds’ turned out to be true
Who are we going to have in midfield then? Two wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tubemen?
I’m all for that idea if it helps improve our performance against Villa.
Might be a more mobile pairing than Xhaka and Ceballos. Especially if it’s windy up North.
My only worry is that we won’t be able to get away with it because of the current handball rule.
True. Then again, if Arteta can keep them away from the penalty area, giving away constant free kicks for handball might be a decent strategy for breaking up play. Well, at least until both flailing tubemen get sent off for repeat offences.
Oh boy. It’s going to be a looooong process.
Well said.
Batten down the hatches. 👍