Arteta Concerned About Gyökeres Injury Ahead of Champions League Clash
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has expressed worry regarding a muscular injury sustained by Viktor Gyökeres. The team is currently assessing the severity of the injury that kept the Swedish forward off training on Monday.
Gyökeres was substituted during Arsenal’s recent 2-0 victory over Burnley and did not participate in the training session following that match.
Arteta confirmed that Gyökeres will be sidelined for the Champions League match against Slavia Prague on Tuesday night but noted that the extent of the injury remains uncertain. “I am concerned because he hasn’t had many muscular issues and he had to leave the pitch feeling something,” Arteta stated on Monday evening.
“That’s obviously never a good sign, especially for a player that is very, very explosive. We are digging in a little bit more to understand the situation and will announce the results as soon as we know. He’s definitely not available for the Slavia match.”
Arteta elaborated on Gyökeres’ feelings about the situation, saying, “He was very disappointed after the match with what he felt, but this is part of football. If you expect everything to always go smoothly, that’s unrealistic. If he’s dealing with something, we’ll support him through it.”
Gyökeres’ absence is a setback for Arsenal, which is already short on attacking options, with key players such as Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Noni Madueke, and Martin Ødegaard also out of action.
Mikel Merino replaced Gyökeres during the game against Burnley and could feature against Slavia Prague, as Arsenal aims for a 10th consecutive victory and an eighth straight clean sheet. With Martín Zubimendi suspended, Christian Norgaard may also get the start, and Arteta described him as “exceptional,” noting his positive form prior to his own injury.
n
