Eberechi Eze could possibly be set to miss an important run of games for Arsenal after missing his side’s Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City.
Eze has enjoyed a more distinguished role in Mike Arteta’s side over the past month, starting Arsenal’s last 4 Premier League matches and getting on the scoresheet because the Gunners saw off Bayer Leverkusen within the Champions League.
Nevertheless, the 27-year-old was withdrawn midway through the second half against Leverkusen last Tuesday and subsequently missed Sunday’s 2-0 defeat to City on Sunday.
Speaking after the sport, Arteta suggested that Eze would wish a scan to find out the total extent of the injury, however the attacking midfielder has already withdrawn from England’s squad for the upcoming international break.
And the BBC at the moment are reporting that Arsenal could face being without Eze for a period of between 4 and 6 weeks.
After the international break, Arsenal will resume their hunt for trophies within the FA Cup, where they travel to face in-form Championship side Southampton.
A two-legged Champions League quarter-final tie is sandwiched between the visit of Bournemouth, before Arsenal make an enormous trip as much as the Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City in mid-April.
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Arsenal’s upcoming fixtures
Southampton vs Arsenal (4 April, FA Cup)
Sporting CP vs Arsenal (7 April, Champions League)
Arsenal vs Bournemouth (11 April, Premier League)
Arsenal vs Sporting CP (15 April, Champions League)
Man City vs Arsenal (19 April, Premier League)
Arsenal vs Newcastle (25 April, Premier League)
Arsenal vs Fulham (2 May, Premier League)
Home games against Newcastle and Fulham then follow at the top of April and starting of May, which could possibly be games which Arsenal goal for Eze’s potential return.
There may be also a possibility that Eze could miss each legs of the Champions League semi-final and the FA Cup semi-final should Arsenal progress in each competitions.
The 2 legs of the Champions League semi-final are set to happen on April 28 and May 5, while a possible FA Cup semi-final would happen on the weekend of April 25 when Arsenal are as a result of host Newcastle.
Eze’s absence is the newest injury suffered by the Gunners, who’ve had a slew of their players pull out of international duty.
Defensive trio William Saliba, Jurrien Timber and Gabriel will stick with Arsenal over the break, while Leandro Trossard has also pulled out of the Belgian squad.
Martin Odegaard has also not joined up with the Norway squad as he targets a return after the international break to potentially fill the void left by Eze.
Chatting with Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet, national team boss Stale Solbakken said Odegaard has been left ‘very frustrated and grumpy’ by his latest injury setback.
‘Now it’s three weeks until Arsenal play again, or two-and-a-half weeks. I believe it could possibly be a goal for Martin to be in a squad (for his club) then. It’s within sight,’ Solbakken added.
“There isn’t a reason for him to travel now. He has to coach (with Arsenal).
‘If he wants to make use of a break day to come back here, he’s welcome to achieve this, however it just isn’t something that has been planned.’
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