Arsenal face a challenging situation ahead of their crucial Champions League clash with Monaco, as injuries threaten to leave them without as many as seven first-team players.
Manager Mikel Arteta may be forced to field an improvised starting lineup for the game, which is set to take place in north London.
The Gunners currently occupy seventh place in the group stage standings, just inside the automatic qualification spots for the round of 16.
With three victories from their five matches so far, including a dominant 5-1 win over Sporting Lisbon in the previous round, Arsenal have positioned themselves well.
However, tomorrow’s opponents Monaco are level on points and sit just one spot below Arsenal due to an inferior goal difference, making the fixture a significant test for both sides.
The build-up to the game has been overshadowed by a spate of injuries in the Arsenal camp.
According to football.london journalist Kaya Kaynak, key midfielder Thomas Partey missed Monday’s training session.
Furthermore, defenders Gabriel Magalhães, Riccardo Calafiori, Oleksandr Zinchenko, and Jurrien Timber were also not involved in full training, raising concerns about their availability.
Partey and Timber started in Arsenal’s recent 1-1 draw with Fulham, while Gabriel, Calafiori, and Zinchenko were already sidelined for that match.
This potential defensive crisis comes on top of existing injuries to Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu, both of whom are already out of action.
Should all seven players be unavailable, Arsenal would be left with only William Saliba and Jakub Kiwior as recognized senior defenders for the Monaco match, a scenario that significantly limits Arteta’s options.
Speaking after the draw with Fulham, Arteta expressed hope that Gabriel, Calafiori, and Zinchenko might recover in time for the game.
He emphasized, however, that their participation would depend on medical assessments. “I hope they can [return],” Arteta said.
“But it’s more a question for the doctors and the physios to understand where we are. We are missing a lot of players in the backline.
The good thing is that whatever we put there, they respond.
They respond with a good attitude and performance.”
The absence of multiple key players, particularly in defense, adds to the pressure on Arsenal as they prepare for this critical fixture.
With Monaco presenting a formidable challenge, Arteta will need to rely on tactical ingenuity and the resilience of his squad to secure a positive result and strengthen their bid for Champions League progression.
