Partey, Jesus, Trossard – Arsenal injury news and expected return dates ahead of Everton clash

Arsenal suffered defeat last week against Manchester City in the fourth round of the FA Cup, losing 1-0 thanks to a second-half Nathan Ake finish at the Etihad Stadium.

Mikel Arteta rotated his starting XI for the game against his former mentor Pep Guardiola, benching the likes of Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli and William Saliba. It is clear that Arteta’s focus is primarily on lifting the Premier League title this term, something that is certainly plausible considering his side are currently on top of the table, five points clear of City, who have also played one more league match this season.

Next up for the north London outfit is a trip to Goodison Park, where they will take on Everton in Sean Dyche’s first match as Toffees’ head coach. Now, football.london has rounded up all the latest injury news that the Gunners have to deal with ahead of Saturday’s match, including an update on crucial midfielder Thomas Partey.

Thomas Partey

Partey is the latest injury concern for Mikel Arteta as the midfielder had to be replaced in the 1-0 defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup. The Ghana international took a knock to the ribs in the first half, eventually making way for Albert Sambi Lokonga at half time as his condition worsened.

However, the early prognosis on Partey’s injury suggests that it is not thought to be serious, football.london understands. Early signs suggest that the injury is not too severe and the Gunners will continue to assess him ahead of their clash with Everton, but hopes are that the Ghanaian will be fit in time for that match.

What Mikel Arteta said: “He had some discomfort and it was getting worse and worse. He could not continue and he was not comfortable to continue. No initial diagnosis. Tomorrow (Saturday), or the day after it will have to be an MRI scan and we’ll see what he has.”

Expected return date: Everton (A) – February 4

Leandro Trossard
New signing Leandro Trossard missed Arsenal’s training session on Tuesday, although supporters will be happy to know that the Belgian’s reasons were not injury related. According to journalist Connor Humm, Trossard was absent from the club’s London Colney training base because his girlfriend had been expecting a child.

Expected return date: Everton (A) – February 4

Emile Smith Rowe

Smith Rowe has been plagued with injury worries throughout this season so far, struggling to play a part in the first-team through the opening stages of the campaign. The Hale End academy graduate has made a return to action since the World Cup break, but was missing for the clash against Manchester City as football.london understands he is suffering from a thigh strain and was left out as a precaution.

Expected return date: N/A

Mohamed Elneny

Elneny started in the FA Cup win over Oxford United and played the whole 90 minutes. However, the Egyptian was not included in Arteta’s squad for the win at Tottenham, with the Gunners assessing a knee issue picked up in training ahead of the clash, with no place on the bench to face Manchester United.

A club statement on Tuesday afternoon then confirmed that the former Basel man will be out for an extended period of time, although no timescale was given on his expected return. “Following an injury sustained in a recent training session, subsequent assessments have confirmed that Mohamed Elneny has a significant injury to his right knee”, the update read.

“Mo has had successful surgery in London and will be ruled out for an extended period of time. A more detailed timescale will be established once the early stages of rehabilitation have been completed.

“Everyone at the club will be offering Mo all the support he needs and working hard with him so he can return to action as soon as possible.”

What Arteta has said: “I don’t think he will be [available],” Arteta added. “He had some issues with his knee that we are assessing at the moment and we will have to see how he evolves in the next couple of days.

“There are concerns, especially [because he] is a player who never complains about anything. But let’s see.”

Expected return date: N/A

Gabriel Jesus

Jesus suffered medial ligament damage whilst playing for Brazil against Cameroon in the World Cup group stages. The 25-year-old later returned to London to undergo surgery on his knee, with an expectation that he will be out for at least another month of footballing action.

Speaking to former UFC Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov at the Emirates Stadium last weekend, Jesus admitted he hopes to be back on the pitch in “four to five weeks”. On Wednesday, the 25-year-old delivered a fresh update on his fitness status, posting a picture on Instagram of himself back on the training pitch.

Expected return date: February / March 2023.

What Arteta has said: “He’s progressing really well, he’s working really hard, he’s in the right place in terms of the time that we set for him, but he’s still a bit far.

“I’d like to see him very quickly but I don’t think it’s gonna happen. We’re gonna have to be patient with that one. But let’s see. It’s a complicated surgery, in any surgery, there are always a lot of things were you have to be cautious He’s a player that’s going to push to be really fast on the pitch.”

Reiss Nelson

The extent of Nelson’s hamstring injury is currently unknown, but Arteta admitted after the friendly with Juventus that it could be problematic.

A positive update has recently emerged with Nelson posting on his Instagram story where he is seen running on the treadmill.

What Arteta has said: “We don’t know the extent of the injury. The fact that he had to leave the pitch straight away is not good news, especially with someone like Reiss who is really powerful and fast. Let’s see what will happen. We know what we have to do and that doesn’t change the plans [for the transfer window].”

Expected return date: Unknown.