Eddie Nketiah, Mohamed Elneny: Arsenal injury news and return dates ahead of Sporting second leg
Arsenal secured a crucial three points on Sunday afternoon and defeated Fulham 3-0 at Craven Cottage thanks to first-half goals from Gabriel Magalhaes, Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard.
That result restored a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League table after second-placed Manchester City clinched a narrow 1-0 win over Crystal Palace the previous day. The north Londoners’ victory in west London means a win against Palace on Sunday would put them eight ahead of the Citizens, who are out of the league this weekend due to their participation in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
Star striker Gabriel Jesus also made his much-anticipated return after spending more than three months on the treatment table after suffering a knee injury sustained during Brazil’s World Cup in Qatar. Next up for the Gunners is the second leg of their UEFA Europa League tie against Sporting CP, with the aggregate currently sitting 2-2 after a thrilling first leg in Lisbon.
Before the game in N5, football.london has rounded up the latest news on every Arsenal player dealing with injury woes.
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Gabriel Jesus
The striker is finally back. Jesus returned to the pitch on Sunday after suffering an inner ligament injury while representing Brazil against Cameroon in the World Cup group stage.
The Brazilian was expected to return perhaps next week or after the international break, but the 25-year-old completed 15 minutes in a much-welcomed boost.
He needs more time to fully recover but the fact that he’s back on the field and part of Arteta’s squad is crucial for the rest of the season.
What Arteta said: “Big boost. The first step today. We didn’t know if today was the right game. He said to me a few days ago: ‘I’m still missing something.’ Yesterday I looked him in the eye and he said, ‘I’m ready.’ I said, ‘OK!’ Then we had a chance to throw him in. It’s the first step in giving him the big boost. He looks clear he looks ready and he created those two big chances right away. It’s great to have him back.”
Eddie Nketiah
Eddie Nketiah had found himself on the bench after falling slightly in form in recent wins against Leicester and Everton. Arsenal boss Arteta then confirmed after coming on as a substitute against the Toffees that the young forward had been suffering from minor injury concerns.
Arsenal then decided not to bring the Hale End academy graduate to Lisbon. He wasn’t on the bench against Fulham either.
On Monday, Nketiah took to social media to provide a cryptic update on his current rehabilitation progress. Taking to Instagram, he wrote: “Step by step (emoji with eggs) (emoji with strained arm).”
What Arteta said: “We’re testing him,” said the Spaniard in his pre-match press conference. “It’s a bit uncertain what’s going to happen to him, to be honest, in the training sessions.
“Let’s see, let’s keep the options open. He is very positive and hopefully he will do well.”
Expected return date: N / A
Mohammed Elneny
Elneny started in the FA Cup win over Oxford United and played the full 90 minutes. However, the Egyptian was absent from Arteta’s squad in the 2-0 win at Tottenham as a knee problem arose in training prior to judging the clash. Also, there was no room on the bench to face Manchester United.
A club statement last month then confirmed that the former Basel native will be out for an extended period, although no timetable was given for his expected return. Elneny has since signed a new contract with Arsenal as he nears a return.
Expected return date: N / A
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