Martin Keown is concerned about Arsenal’s growing injury crisis, especially to their forwards, as they battle to win the Premier League title.
Arsenal have the chance to go nine points clear at the top of the table on Saturday evening when they take on high-flying Sunderland.
The Gunners head to the Stadium of Light off the back of winning 10-straight games without conceding a single goal and some believe nothing can stop the club as they bid to win their first title since 2003/04.
However, Mikel Arteta is dealing with a number of fitness problems, with seven players currently sidelined – only arch-rivals Tottenham have more (10).
‘I’m worried about the number of injuries that Arsenal have. That’s an issue,’ Gunners legend Keown said on talkSPORT.
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‘The manager is doing well to put that to one side. [But] you can’t keep getting away with it.’
Moreover, almost all of these injuries are to Arsenal’s attacking players, with Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, Noni Madueke and captain Martin Odegaard all set to miss the Sunderland clash.
Gabriel Jesus did return to training this week but will be slowly reintegrated back into first-team action after 10 months out with a knee injury.
With no recognised centre-forward available, midfielder Mikel Merino is standing in as a No.9 and managed to bag a brace in the Champions League win over Slavia Prague during the week.
While their incredible squad depth has lessened the impact of their absence so far, the injured forwards may prove costly in the future and Keown is praying they make a speedy recovery.
‘I was comparing the England squad today to the Arsenal squad. We’ve only got one England striker and Arsenal have only got one striker, Gyokeres,’ the former defender added.
‘But what Arsenal have is lots of different full-backs and England don’t have that. Piero Hincapie was playing the other night, Myles Lewis-Skelly didn’t even make it. We’ve got three [left-backs] now. Riccardo Calafiori could get the cigars out because he had a whole night off.
‘Jurrien Timber is quite magnificent at full-back. Ben White plays well and the two central defenders [William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes]. Cristhian Mosquera has come in and is really at the level, so that’s taken care of.
‘Martin Zubimendi in midfield is a wonderful talent as well. I sincerely hope he’s back and ready this weekend. And Declan Rice is becoming the Bryan Robson of his era. He’s just up and down and everywhere.
‘But we do need that striker. Havertz is coming back from injury, Jesus is coming back from injury, Odegaard…
‘We need them back quickly. There’s an international break coming and fingers crossed they’re all available afterwards.’
Arteta is hopeful that most, if not all the stricken players will be fit for Arsenal’s first game after the international break: the North London derby against bitter rivals Tottenham.
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