Arsenal are facing growing concerns over player fitness as they prepare for the decisive second leg of their Champions League tie against Paris Saint-Germain. Having lost the first leg at home, the Gunners now find themselves under added pressure following a disappointing Premier League defeat to Bournemouth, which extended their winless run to three matches in all competitions. Expectations were high for a response in the league, but the result has only compounded the challenges facing Mikel Arteta’s side ahead of their trip to Paris.
As reported by RMC Sports, there are doubts surrounding the availability of key players, with Martin Odegaard emerging as a major concern. The midfielder was reportedly seen limping during the match against Bournemouth and was not walking properly after the final whistle, raising fears that he may not recover in time for the second leg. Odegaard’s influence on the team is significant, and his potential absence would be a blow to Arsenal’s hopes of overturning the deficit in France.
In addition to Odegaard, Jurrien Timber is also considered a doubt for the upcoming fixture. The Dutch defender is believed to have sustained an injury during the first leg against PSG, which may sideline him for a period. While the full extent of his condition remains unclear, his possible unavailability adds further complication to Arsenal’s preparations at a critical juncture in their season.
With such fitness concerns looming, Arsenal will be hoping that both players can recover in time to feature in the squad. However, as things stand, it appears that neither may be fully fit to contribute, and the team could be forced to adapt accordingly. In a match of such magnitude, having the strongest possible lineup is crucial, but any player selected to start will need to be ready to deliver a performance of the highest level.
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If captain Odegaard does not recover in time our under pressure will be even open for even more criticism.
@Gunsmoke
Nwaneri can fill in for him. No problem…
Well we told he was more skilful then Lemal lol
I would play Merino there and he can swap positions with Trossard
Odergaard hasn’t actually pulled any trees up. I don’t think he would be a major miss. Me, I would play Zinchenko there or Nwaneri. And be happy, he was covered.
That was meant to be ” our under pressure gaffer ”
This is an area Arsenal has to address in the summer, we need another creative midfielder, that could also help Captain Odegaard with his development,
The Leverkusen Florians would take to this outfit like duck to water
For me, Timber would be a bigger loss to the team than Odegaard.
Zinchenko or Nwaneri doesn’t really matter which to be honest.
It’s not ideal having further injury issues to deal with. I like White but I thought he wasn’t fully operationally fit against Bournemouth so if Timber hasn’t recovered then that will be a big miss. The right hand side has tailed off post return from injury and that includes Saka as well