Arteta to make late call over trio as he bids to maintain perfect start
ARSENAL’S bid to make it six wins from six in the Premier League by beating Manchester United tomorrow has been complicated by injuries to key players, though Mikel Arteta insists they do not fear Old Trafford.
Oleksandr Zinchenko is touch and go for one of English football’s most iconic fixtures after missing training with a knee complaint. Goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale and captain Martin Odegaard are also being assessed, with Arteta unsure if they will take part in today’s final training session. In midfield, Mohamed Elneny is set to be sidelined for months due to a hamstring issue, while Thomas Partey is weeks away from returning after a thigh problem. News of their lengthy absences is why Arteta was particularly frustrated not to sign Douglas Luiz from Aston Villa on transfer deadline day, despite the club’s final bid of £25million.
Arteta will leave it late to decide on Zinchenko, Ramsdale and Odegaard as they aim to maintain their 100 per cent Premier League record. Despite the injury issues, the manager said his side have no reason to fear Old Trafford.
‘I wouldn’t like any of our players feeling that way because they’re good enough to go there and win the match and we have the belief that can happen,’ Arteta said. ‘If not, it’s better to stay at home.’ Arsenal won a League match at Old Trafford for the first time in 14 years in 2020, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s penalty securing a 1-0 victory. Arteta feels that achievement, and the addition of two winners in Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus to his squad, changed their mentality in how they approach these matches. ‘That brings belief,’ Arteta said. ‘People have experiences — positive experiences — in those matches and that is very good because it is contagious to the group. When you know the players, what you can expect from them, and they come in and show such an attitude and perform straightaway, there is an impact.’
Some Arsenal fans were unhappy on deadline day following no new arrivals. Yet Arteta says fans should remember what they did earlier in the summer window. ‘We cannot forget what we did early,’ he added, insisting they tried their best to make last-minute additions in light of their injuries. ‘We are happy with the squad we have. The board has pushed the boat very, very far to try to accommodate the situation we have.’
When asked about Aubameyang’s deadline day move to Chelsea, Arteta did not wish to say much about the striker he axed. ‘I wish him all the best,’ he said. ‘That’s it.’