Growing questions surrounding the fitness of Hale End Academy graduate Eddie Nketiah looks set to prove the value of Arsenal’s winter window capture of 28-year-old Belgian international Leandro Trossard.
Reports from Football.London’s Kaya Kaynak detail Gunners boss Mikel Arteta’s refusal to rule out the possibility that the 23-year-old former record-breaking England youth international forward may be laid up in dry dock after sustaining an ankle injury in the build-up to the Premier League leaders clash with Leicester City last weekend.
Eddie Nketiah is being assessed ahead of #AFC‘s clash with Bournemouth after sustaining an ankle injury. Arteta admitted he’s currently unsure if it will be a long-term problem, but extent of injury not clear atm.
Full story and quotes 👇https://t.co/Hp4g83Sdmp
— Kaya Kaynak (@kayakaynak97) March 3, 2023
Though Nketiah made an appearance off the bench, Trossard was brought into the team and very much looked the part as the former KRC Genk forward put in a very good shift in the number 9 role, before once again doing the same in Arsenal’s 4-0 midweek thrashing of Everton, turning provider in both fixtures.
Despite the extent of Nketiah’s injury remains unclear, the notion that it could be more serious than first suggested – or realized – offers a timely reminder of the importance surrounding Trossard’s switch to the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal was deep in the hunt for Ukrainian starlet Mykhailo Mudryk before the 21-year-old ultimately chose Graham Potter’s Chelsea, once again showing the club’s ability to switch gears to source market solutions before prying Trossard away from the American Express Community Stadium in a deal that could go as high as just £27m.
Trossard has already shown his well-known versatility on a tactical level this season under the Spanish tactician, featuring both on the left flank as well as through the middle, with the added ability to play just behind the striker or on the opposite flank yet to be tapped into at the time of writing. With Gabriel Jesus edging closer to a return to senior duties, Arsenal has appeared to ultimately make the right decision when it comes to player acquisition during a season where the margin for error in the transfer market is slim if they intend on continue to set the pace at the top of the table.
📰 Table Of Contents
