Arsenal news – Mikel Arteta has a number of key decisions to make for Bournemouth with William Saliba, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice all struggling with injuries
Today afternoon’s Premier League match between Arsenal and Bournemouth marks the start of an important eight days. With a win against Brentford in the Carabao Cup during the week, the Gunners have started the season unblemished in all competitions, and they will be looking to continue that streak on Saturday away from north London.
Prior to the game, injury news dominated the conversation, and Arteta’s encouraging comments were few and far between. When questioned about Rice on Friday, he responded, “He wasn’t available. He hasn’t yet trained because he had to leave the London Debry. We’ll have more information about him today after our next session, which is in an hour or so.
Additionally, it was discovered that Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard, and Gabriel Martinelli had never trained, in addition to Fabio Vieira and William Saliba who were both battling with injuries. The match against Bournemouth appears to be a must-win in order to stay ahead of the leaders Manchester City, but there are several very good reasons why, if suffering from an injury, resting Saka, Saliba, and Rice is more important.
City concern
Next weekend at this time, Arsenal will be getting ready for their vital match at Emirates Stadium against Manchester City. Last season, the defending champions defeated the Gunners twice, and that was enough for them to win the league with 89 points, as opposed to Mikel Arteta’s team’s 84 victories.
Starting the trio against Bournemouth will certainly increase the chances of a victory, but thinking about the long-term is more important. Not having Rice, Saka or Saliba available to face Man City will be a worry, but allowing them to rest this weekend could prove worthwhile ahead of a big week.
READ MORE: Saka, Saliba, Rice – Arsenal injury news and return dates before Bournemouth clash
Gains from the Champions League
Arsenal must also consider the Champions League because their next group round matchup is at Lens on Wednesday, October 4. £2.1 million is the prize for winning a group match in the competition, and three points in France may be more significant than a victory on the south coast.
Even if Man City is a winning machine, losing some games over the course of a 38-game season is unavoidable. However, because there are only six games in a European group, losing some games can have a big impact on a team’s prospects of qualifying. On paper, the Gunners have more than enough to defeat the French team, but given the anticipated loud crowd, a home victory is certainly possible.
If Saka, Saliba and Rice are chosen to start against Bournemouth, the worst-case scenario would be one of the trio coming off injured in the first half. While all three are crucial to the core of the team, missing one Premier League game with a minor issue is far better than being absent for several weeks.
Of course this is hypothetical, but the risk does not feel worth it for the reward. If it was a clash against Man City that Arsenal were facing this week, it would certainly be a different story, but Arteta should have adequate depth to get the job done against the Cherries without Saka, Saliba or Rice
Takehiro Tomiyasu, Reiss Nelson and Emile Smith Rowe all proved their worth against Brentford, while Jorginho was signed in January for these exact moments and his midfield composure was also on display after his mistake in the North London Derby
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