Arsenal travel to east London to take on West Ham United in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.
The north London outfit are in a good run of form, having secured back-to-back victories against Chelsea and Manchester United, meaning they now sit fourth in the table, two points clear of Tottenham Hotspur. The Hammers played in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final on Thursday night, something that may mean David Moyes opts to rest some of his players, something he did last weekend against Chelsea.
However, Mikel Arteta will want to field his strongest XI, especially when you consider some of the injury problems that the Spaniard has to deal with at this moment in time. With that being said, here football.london has taken a look at who might feature this weekend and who is likely to miss out.
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Bukayo Saka
Bukayo Sako worried Arsenal fans when he was taken off in the 3-1 win over Manchester United last weekend. Having scored a penalty, Saka was taken off with 15 minutes remaining and was seen limping after the final whistle.
Arteta said after the match that the club would see how fares in the build-up to the Hammers match but he has since confirmed that the youngster should be available.
What Arteta has said: “Hopefully he will be fine. He had some issues in the final part of the game but he’s recovered well and we expect him to be available.”
Kieran Tierney
Gunners left-back Kieran Tierney continues to miss out having picked up an injury at the start of the month.
Following a training session, Arteta confirmed that the Scotland international was to undergo knee surgery in a move that would surely put an end to his 2021/22 season and leave the team looking for a starting replacement in Nuno Tavares or potentially Granit Xhaka being moved from midfield to cover at the back.
What Arteta has said: “Kieran felt discomfort after a training session on Thurs. A specialist consultation took place, and as a result of further discussions, it has been decided that he requires [knee] surgery.”
Thomas Partey
Like his Arsenal teammate Tierney, Thomas Partey’s season looks to be over.
While recent pictures have surfaced of the midfielder on a treadmill, hinting at a surprise return, everything coming from the manager suggests that Partey will play no role in the Gunners quest for a top-four finish. Partey failed to finish the match when Arsenal lost 3-0 to Crystal Palace at the start of the month and hasn’t played since.
What Arteta has said: “He’s progressing but he had a significant injury, a recurring injury as well, so we don’t expect him to make progress that quickly to see him this season, but hopefully I am wrong.”