The fitness of a number of important players is in doubt, as the Gunners head to the Vitality Stadium hoping to shake off the disappointment of losing to Spurs in the north London derby last weekend.
Arteta is worried about the availability of Declan Rice, Leandro Trossard, and Gabriel Martinelli in addition to Saka, who walked out during the final minutes against Tottenham.
Bukayo Saka remains an injury doubt ahead of Sunday’s Premier League game between Arsenal and Bournemouth, confirms Mikel Arteta. But there are good chances that Saka would recover soon and be in the playin 11.
“Declan hasn’t trained yet, we have a session in an hour, we’ll get more news about him. Gabi [Martinelli] hasn’t trained, Leo same situation, Saka, same. They are all in the same pool.”
Arteta also revealed the extent of Arsenal’s injury crisis did not end there, with fresh doubts over Fabio Vieira and William Saliba.
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“Willy had a knock, Fabio wasn’t involved,’ confirmed Arteta. ‘We have to assess them today.”
Asked why Arsenal’s injury crisis had escalated in recent weeks, Arteta said: ‘Different reasons. Some happen in training, some are knocks, some are very small muscular niggles.
‘But as well the load coming from before the national team and then after the national team the load went through the roof and the demands continue to be really high.
‘The fact we had three or four out already didn’t give enough time to some of them to have the exposure they needed.’
‘It’s about now , it’s about Bournemouth which is the most important game of the season we have now,’ Arteta added when asked if next weekend’s game against Manchester City would impact his team selection tomorrow.
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