Arsenal injury blow ahead of Bournemouth clash with Eddie Nketiah not seen at training and Mikel Arteta admitting doubts
ARSENAL have been dealt a fresh injury blow with Eddie Nketiah expected to miss out on Saturday’s Premier League clash with Bournemouth.
Nketiah, 23, has started almost every game for the Gunners in the wake of the World Cup due to the absence of Gabriel Jesus.
However, his last two appearances saw him come on as a substitute against Leicester and Everton respectively with new signing Leandro Trossard leading the front line.
The striker replaced the former Brighton star in the 72nd minute of Wednesday’s clash with Sean Dyche‘s Everton.
And although he claimed an assist, it was evident that he had been struggling with a slight injury.
After the final whistle, he slumped to the floor before walking straight down the tunnel.
And Mikel Arteta has since confirmed that Nketiah is struggling with an ankle issue.
During Friday’s pre-match press conference, the Arsenal boss said: “Yeah he was [limping against Everton]. We are assessing him.
“It’s a bit uncertain what will happen with him to be honest in the training sessions. Let’s see, let’s keep the options open. He’s very positive about it and hopefully he’ll be fine.”
Nketiah was not pictured in Friday’s training session at London Colney, indicating that he could play no part against Bournemouth.
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The striker could be replaced once again by Trossard, who has continued to impress Arsenal fans since his arrival.
Reiss Nelson, who has just returned from a spell on the sidelines with a thigh injury, could also be called back into the line-up.