According to a report by Football.London, Arsenal’s injury concerns have deepened ahead of their crucial Champions League clash against Monaco at the Emirates Stadium.
Manager Mikel Arteta is facing mounting challenges, with two more players now added to the growing list of absentees.
Injuries have plagued the Gunners throughout the 2024/25 season, and while recent weeks offered some relief, the situation appears to have worsened again.
Key defenders Gabriel Magalhaes and Riccardo Calafiori have missed Arsenal’s last two matches after being substituted during their 5-2 victory over West Ham in late November.
Gabriel suffered his issue during the Gunners’ European triumph at Sporting, while Calafiori’s injury remains a concern.
Both players were absent in Arsenal’s win over Manchester United and the draw against Everton, and they were not seen in open training on Tuesday.
Arteta remains hopeful they will return soon, but their continued absence casts doubt on their availability for upcoming matches.
Adding to the defensive woes, Jurrien Timber, Thomas Partey, and Oleksandr Zinchenko were also missing from training.
Partey and Timber recently played full games at full-back, but their absence raises questions about potential recurrence of previous injuries.
Zinchenko was left out of the squad against Fulham, and his status remains unclear.
Long-term injuries to Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu further exacerbate Arsenal’s defensive issues, leaving Arteta with limited options.
In a press conference, Arteta acknowledged the challenges of managing his squad.
“We have to manage a lot of the players,” he said. “Some of them probably aren’t going to be fit.
Some are still a doubt. We have 24 hours to make a decision and hopefully it’ll be the right ones.”
His comments suggest that load management could be crucial, particularly for players like Partey and Timber, who are still regaining full fitness.