In the aftermath of their Europa League exit at the hands of Sporting Lisbon, Arsenal will be looking to get back to winning ways when they host Crystal Palace in a highly-anticipated Premier League encounter this weekend.
Mikel Arteta’s men have been in terrific form in the league, winning their last five games on the trot, and will be confident of extending their lead at the top of the table with another win on Sunday.
On the other hand, the Eagles have been dealt a major blow ahead of the match, with the sacking of their manager Patrick Vieira earlier this week. Despite narrowly missing out on a chance to visit his former club, Vieira’s successor, Paddy McCarthy, will have his task cut out as he looks to guide Palace to safety and avoid relegation.
While there has been little to separate the two sides in their recent encounters, with five of their last nine matches ending in draws, the Gunners will be eager to do the double over their rivals after a narrow 2-0 win at Selhurst Park in August, courtesy of a Gabriel Martinelli header and a Marc Guehi own goal.
Ahead of what promises to be an enthralling clash at the Emirates Stadium, both sides have a few injury concerns to contend with. However, the full extent of their respective injury woes remains to be seen, and we’ll keep you updated with the latest developments as they unfold.
ARSENAL
Eddie Nketiah
Eddie Nketiah has been sidelined with an ankle injury since Arsenal’s 4-0 thrashing of Everton at the start of the month. The striker will remain out for a few weeks, though his absence is less of a concern for Arteta following Gabriel Jesus’ long awaited return last week.
On Nketiah, the Spaniard said: “He’s getting better. He’s still in the boot. He’s still a few weeks away and we need to be patient. It was a nasty injury and he has a big challenge ahead of him. Thank God it could have been worse. So he’s not in a bad place.”
William Saliba
The Frenchman limped off with a muscle injury after only 20 minutes of the defeat to Sporting Lisbon midweek. There appeared to be no strapping to Saliba’s back following the game, though he will undergo a late fitness test to determine whether he can return to the line-up tomorrow.
Takehiro Tomiyasu
Tomiyasu was another forced substitute in the first half against the Portuguese club after overstretching for a tackle that left him needing treatment. The defender’s injury looks worse than Saliba’s however and it looks likely that he could miss out against Crystal Palace.
On Tomiyasu, Arteta said: “Tomiyasu looks pretty serious from his reaction straight and what he said to me, but obviously, it’s very early.”
Mohamed Elneny
The Egyptian has been out of the squad since the start of the year after having surgery on a knee problem. Elneny was set to be sidelined for ‘an extended period of time’ and will be absent this weekend.
CRYSTAL PALACE
Vincent Guiata
Crystal Palace will once again be without their first choice goalkeeper after straining his hamstring. Guiata was absent from their defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion and will remain sidelined for the Eagles’ trip to the Emirates Stadium.
Sam Johnstone
Sam Johnstone’s calf injury is likely to keep him out of the picture until next month, meaning Crystal Palace will once again have to rely on 19-year-old Joe Whitworth. The teenager made his debut against Brighton and will retain his place in the team this weekend.
Will Hughes
Will Hughes missed out on Palace’s defeat to the Seagulls with illness but returned to training ahead of this weekend’s game. However, the midfielder is a doubt to start for the London outfit.
James McArthur
McArthur has also been out with illness but has returned to training in recent days.
Nathan Ferguson
The defender is still recovering from a long-term injury that has kept him out of action since December 2021.
Albert Sambi Lokonga
The midfielder is ineligible to feature against his parent club tomorrow after joining Crystal Palace on loan from Arsenal in January. Lokonga has made seven appearances for the Eagles this term.
