LONDON — Mikel Arteta has been handed a double harm blow heading into Wednesday’s Champions League quarterfinal second leg in opposition to Actual Madrid with each Thomas Partey and Jorginho struggling accidents that pressured them out of Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Brentford.
Partey was withdrawn within the 69th minute, quickly after opening the scoring with an overlapping run off Declan Rice and near-post end. Arteta declined to make clear what precisely brought on the Ghanaian worldwide to been pressured off — it gave the impression to be a muscular situation that pressured him down — solely saying Partey had “felt one thing.”
Jorginho got here off quickly after, leaving in discomfort as Arsenal have been lowered to 10 males for the ultimate 4 minutes plus stoppage time.
“He mentioned he couldn’t breathe correctly,” Arteta mentioned of the veteran midfielder, “it is likely to be to do with one of many ribs. It’s unusual as a result of Jorgi usually carries on, so meaning it’s one thing vital, I believe.”
As to Partey, Arteta’s response was extra circumspect. “He felt one thing, so we did not need to take any dangers,” he mentioned. “We do not know [if he will be available for Wednesday], I have never spoken to the medical doctors but, so they may test him now and see how he’s.”
Dropping one among Partey or Jorginho, significantly the previous, would definitely current a problem as Arsenal head to the Santiago Bernabeu three targets to the nice. Being with out each could be an altogether greater headache, robbing Arteta of each is the obvious choices on the base of the midfield. Rice may drop again having performed in a extra superior function within the first leg however that may solely create additional points. Would Mikel Merino do the identical, switching from heart ahead to midfield and leaving a gap in assault that presumably solely the struggling Leandro Trossard may fill?
The twin absence on the base of midfield will not be the one situation to come up because the gorgeous 3-0 triumph on Tuesday evening. Ben White, who performed the final minute of that win, was nowhere to be seen on Saturday after struggling a knock in coaching. Arteta mentioned: “He couldn’t be in situation to be within the squad at the moment and be chosen, so we’ve a number of days, however we’ll have to attend and see.”
This has confirmed to be one thing of a cursed season on the harm entrance for Arsenal. Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka have each missed a number of months, the latter one among three gamers to require surgical procedure on their hamstrings this season. Gabriel’s will rule him out for the rest of the marketing campaign whereas Kai Havertz’s involvement within the remaining weeks is contact and go.
