Arsenal have been handed a fresh injury concern ahead of this weekend’s North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur.
Leandro Trossard was forced off during the 2-2 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers, as the Gunners dropped further points in the Premier League title race.
The 31-year-old started on the bench at Molineux, with Mikel Arteta sticking with Gabriel Martinelli on the left flank following his goal in the FA Cup win over Wigan. He was introduced in the 73rd minute for Bukayo Saka, who appeared to pick up a knee issue.
However, his cameo was cut short after he came off worse in a collision with Wolves defender Santiago Bueno, raising fresh concerns ahead of the derby.
He received treatment from Arsenal’s medical staff before briefly returning to his feet, but Riccardo Calafiori soon replaced him. The Italian was unfortunate not to prevent Tom Edozie from scoring on the line as Wolves rescued a stoppage-time draw.
There has been no official update on the 31-year-old’s condition, leaving his status in doubt ahead of their upcoming clash with Tottenham on Sunday at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Injury worries
There was, however, encouraging news regarding Bukayo Saka: reports from the Evening Standard indicate the winger is ‘fine’ despite needing treatment before being substituted, and his post-match media appearance further suggests he should be fit for the crucial derby against Tottenham.
Arsenal have dominated this fixture in recent years, winning six of their last seven Premier League meetings with Tottenham (D1), including each of the last four. The Gunners have not won five consecutive league games against Spurs since a run between January 1987 and January 1989.
Since their 3-0 defeat to Spurs in May 2022, Arsenal have also been formidable on the road in London derbies, losing just one of their last 21 away matches against capital rivals in the Premier League (W14, D6) — a 2-1 defeat at Fulham in December 2023.
Arsenal remain top of the Premier League despite surrendering a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 with Wolves.
Arteta’s side are still in control of the title race, but the gap could be cut to just two points if Manchester City wins their game in hand.
