BREAKING NEWS: Another important Arsenal player withdraw from England training camp due to hamstring injury – as Club doctors confirmed today
Eberechi Eze could be unavailable for six weeks, presenting injury-hit Arsenal with a serious worry as they enter a crucial period of the season.
Arsenal have been hit with a succession of injuries after their Carabao Cup final defeat, with Eze just one of those unable to play for their countries in the international break. Eze missed the 2-0 defeat by Manchester City at Wembley on Sunday with a calf injury sustained in the win over Bayer Leverkusen.
Mikel Arteta was vague when asked about the severity of the issue, saying: “We have to do another scan in six or seven days and wait to see the results.”
The 27-year-old then pulled out of the England squad for friendlies against Uruguay and Japan – and it now appears as though the playmaker’s problem is worse than first feared. BBC Sport say club sources believe Eze could be sidelined for between four and six weeks.
His setback comes at a time where five of his team-mates have also been forced to withdraw from international duty due to injury. Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba, Jurrien Timber and Martin Odegaard are all sitting out the international break. Trossard played 82 minutes of the Carabao Cup final but has pulled out of the Belgium squad, while centre-back pairing Gabriel and Saliba have withdrawn from the Brazil and France squads respectively and Timber won’t play for the Netherlands.
There is better news on Odegaard, who has been out for a month with a knee injury, but is expected to return after the international break. The Arsenal captain is missing Norway’s games against the Netherlands and Switzerland in order to get back fit for his club.
Arsenal are next in action against Southampton in the FA Cup on April 4 before the first of their two legged Champions League quarter final fixtures against Sporting Lisbon and a Premier League game against Bournemouth.
Martin Odegaard
View 2 Images
Martin Odegaard is on the comeback from a knee injury(Image: Getty Images)
Article continues below
Arteta could chose to rotate his side for the match against Championship side Southampton. The Gunners’ top priority remains the Premier League, where they sit nine points above City, who have a game in hand, with nine matches remaining.
While six Arsenal players are unable to feature for their national teams, Ben White has returned to the England squad after Jarell Quansah pulled out through injury. Meanwhile, Eze’s withdrawal handed an opportunity to Newcastle winger Harvey Barnes.
White has not played for England since leaving the squad during the 2022 World Cup after falling out with Gareth Southgate’s assistant Steve Holland. The right-back chose not to be considered for Euro 2024 but has made a return despite playing just seven times in the Premier League this season due to injuries.
