Mikel Arteta Shares Insights on Jorginho Bench Exclusion and Unveils Recent Training Setback
Last week, Jorginho put on an impressive performance and was named the man of the match against Liverpool. However, Mikel Arteta has revealed that the Italian midfielder was not fit enough to start for Arsenal in their recent game against West Ham. Arteta also disclosed that young talent Emile Smith Rowe has suffered a fresh injury setback.
In their previous match, Arsenal managed to secure a crucial 3-1 victory, closing the gap with Premier League leaders Liverpool. However, both Liverpool and Manchester City won their matches on Saturday, pushing Arsenal back to being five points adrift. Now, it’s up to Arteta’s side to respond once again. Unfortunately, they will be without several key players for their upcoming game at the London Stadium.
Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus were always unlikely to play due to their previous injuries. Additionally, Smith Rowe has picked up an ankle injury during training. Jorginho, who was the standout player in the last match, is also unable to play back-to-back games due to his own injury niggle.
Arteta addressed the absence of these players, saying, “Yeah, Emile turned his ankle in training. It was too early for Gabi and he could not recover. Jorgi has been struggling after 90 minutes after a long time as well, so we had quite a lot of issues in the week.”
When asked about not being able to use Jorginho from the start, Arteta described the foot problem that has been bothering the midfielder for a while. He explained, “He aggravated it playing 96 minutes at that level after a while. But the effort that he put in was incredible. He wanted to be here today again to support the team, so that is the spirit of Jorgi.”
Despite these setbacks, Arteta remains optimistic about his team’s lineup and potential strategies. With Kai Havertz potentially playing as a false nine, Arteta believes they have a versatile player who can link play, use the space intelligently, and threaten the opposition inside the box. Havertz’s work ethic and unpredictability make him a valuable asset to the team.
As Arsenal prepares for their upcoming match, they will need to rely on the depth of their squad and the resilience of their players. Arteta’s ability to adapt and strategize will be put to the test as he navigates through the challenges posed by injuries. The outcome of their game against West Ham will be crucial in determining their position in the Premier League standings.
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