Arsenalaccusations against Premier League AND Champions League glory have lost some momentum – and it’s their attacking woes that are threatening to undo all their good work.
Victor Gyokeres brought his tally to 19 for the season against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night in what was one of his best performances since arriving in north London last summer.
There have been other encouraging days – his two-goal display in the north London derby against Tottenham in January was more evidence of his performance when it matters. But very often, Sweden the international has struggled to lead the line in the Premier League.
This was said in the Premier League match against Manchester City at the Eithad two weeks ago – the club’s biggest game of the season – Mikel Arteta dropped Gyokers to the bench with Kai Havertz back up front.
With Eberechi Eze and Martin Odegaard also playing their roles, Arsenal’s attack operated with more cohesion and fluidity than it had in weeks. It was little surprise then that the German kept his place in the team at home to Newcastle United last Saturday.
In the context of lifting the title, with Arsenal in desperate need of something new in attack, the appearance of Havertz limps and heads straight down the tunnel after 34 minutes it was a huge blow.
The former Chelsea star was left out of the squad last night in Madrid with that groin injury, but reports this week have suggested his case is not being seen as a serious matter.
But even if it is on the minor end of the scale, the issue could rule Havertz out of some of Arsenal’s remaining four Premier League games.
“They haven’t confirmed what it is, but it’s been speculated that it’s a hip injury,” Stephen Smith, CEO and founder of Kitman Labs which specializes in injury wellness and performance analytics, said subway.
“If it’s a hip injury, in the best case scenario when it’s a minor grade 1, we’re still talking about anywhere from a week to three weeks. But anything bigger, he probably doesn’t come back in time.
“If it’s grade 2, then we’re talking about a more significant injury, maybe a partial tear of the muscle or the tendon itself. Generally, you’re looking at a three to eight week window for that.’
Arteta’s faith in Havertz has been near unwavering since his move across the capital three years ago, but the Gunners boss has relied on other options when required.
Mikel Merino’s role as a utility forward has been a resounding success for club and country with the Spain international arguably the most composed player in Arsenal’s squad. While he lacks the natural instincts to take on the role full-time, he has rarely let his manager down, scoring four times in his seven appearances in charge this season.
Merino has not played since the end of January. undergoing what was described as an ‘extremely rare’ leg operation in the weeks that followed. Speaking after the win over Newcastle, Arsenal legend Ian Wright spoke optimistically about the former Real Sociedad star’s return to have a decisive role in the course of the season.
But the reality does not look so bright. Merino does not appear to have returned to training with Arteta admitting last week that it was ‘too early’ to discuss a return. Merino himself has stressed the importance of being ‘very careful’ and ‘patient’ in his rehabilitation with a World Cup campaign to think about too.
While not every detail of a player’s return to training will be shared online, there has been no suggestion yet that the midfielder is back on the grass with the window to play a role this season closing any day now.
Asked if it was realistic to consider Merino a possible option in the coming weeks, Smith said: “I would think probably not. His operation was so rare that we still don’t know exactly what the issue is. He was in a protective boot for quite a long period of time.
“We’ve got four weeks left in the season and he’s still not back on the pitch for training. After this time off, you’d probably want four weeks of training on the pitch before you start thinking about going back. So I’d say it’s highly unlikely at this stage.
“Even if you rushed him back for even one game, it would feel like a huge risk and it could potentially backfire if things don’t go well and potentially bring him back to square one.
“You’d want a graduate return from long-term injuries. Even if they’re not training with the wider team, you’ll normally see athletes running. Before they’re introduced to team training, you’ll usually see them doing some activity on their own, working with physios, building up their endurance and working on other things.
“With an ACL injury where you can be out for at least six months, players usually spend a third of that on the field. In this scenario, if a third of the rehab period involves him training afterwards, you’d want him back for about a month before any big decisions are made.’
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