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Nine players missing from Arsenal training explained after major boost for Bournemouth trip

Arsenal had several key members of the squad missing from the training images.
-Credit: (Image: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)


Arsenal have suffered plenty of injury problems over the course of the international break, adding to their existing problems. While the transparency that the Gunners provide to supporters has been ever-present, there has, expectantly, been a dip in content during the break.

However, on Thursday, Arsenal released an insight into the team’s latest training session with the players now having returned from duty. Gabriel Magalhaes only arrived yesterday after a long flight from Brazil and was all smiles on the day.

Declan Rice, Mikel Merino and Riccardo Calafiori, too, among others, were looking positive. However, the benefits were quickly extinguished as fears began to bubble away as plenty of the senior playing staff were not spotted.

In fact, as many as nine were not seen in the photos. Martin Odegaard, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Ben White, Jurrien Timber, Kai Havertz, Thomas Partey, Kieran Tierney, Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka are not clipped up in the selection made available to fans.

Naturally, with a game in less than two days, the panic stations ensued. However, there was an explanation to come beyond the simple one that the club have shown a lack of willingness to include players who have some questions regarding fitness in photos even if indeed they took part in the sessions.

Mikel Arteta addressed the media on Friday morning and explained that Partey for instance is indeed fit. This is not a surprise considering that it was thought that illness kept him out of the break.

READ MORE: The nine Arsenal injury questions Mikel Arteta must answer ahead of Bournemouth

READ MORE: Arsenal press conference LIVE: Mikel Arteta on Saka fitness, Timber and Martinelli injuries

As Arteta likes to do, he referenced the fact that there remained another session to complete before they could make any calls on some of the team. This included Havertz, Saka and Martinelli in particular who have been doing some work at the training ground.

Regarding White, Timber and Zinchenko, Arteta appeared to be less certain but still positive that their returns will be soon, but included an element of risk in where they are at. "They are quite close the three of them," he said.

"Today we’ll have to push. We are struggling a bit with the numbers, especially in our right side."

Lastly, Odegaard is confirmed out for Bournemouth but Arteta committed to seeing a return in the next seven games before the next international break but no word yet on Kieran Tierney. "[Odegaard's] not gonna be fit for this game. Next week will be a different story.

"He needs to clear some markers doing things with the ball in that latter stage of rehab. Next week will be crucial."

Ultimately, once again we cannot trust simply what is shown in the images that come out from the Sobha Realty Training Centre. There will be further insight into the squad when some leaks from the team bus circulate around social media, inevitably, in the hours before the 5:30pm kick-off on the south coast.