London – Mikel Arteta received a double injury blow in the first leg of the quarterfinals of Wednesday’s Champions League against Real Madrid with Thomas Party and Jorginho suffering injuries that forced them to the 1-1 draw of the Arsenal with Brentford.
Party was removed in the 69th minute, shortly after opening the score with a superimposed race of Declan Rice and an end close to the publication. Arteta refused to clarify what caused exactly that the Ghanaian international was forced, seemed to be a muscular problem that forced him to go down, just saying that Party had “felt something.”
Jorginho came out shortly after, leaving discomfort since Arsenal was reduced to 10 men during the last four minutes plus detention time.
“He said he could not breathe correctly,” Arteta said about veteran midfielder, “it could be to do with one of the ribs. It’s strange because Jorgi normally continues, so that means it is something significant, I think.”
As for party, Arteta’s response was more circumspected. “He felt something, so we didn’t want to run any risk,” he said. “We don’t know [if he will be available for Wednesday]I haven’t talked to doctors yet, so they will check it now and see how it is. “
Losing one from party or Jorginho, particularly the first, would certainly present a challenge like the arsenal chief of Santiago Bernabéu three goals to good. Being without both would be a completely greater headache, stealing arteta of both are the most obvious options at the base of the center of the field. Rice could go back after having played in a more advanced role in the first leg, but that would only create more problems. Would Mikel Merino do the same, changing the center forward to the midfield and leaving a hole in the attack that could presumably only fill the Trosard Landdro?
The double absence at the base of the center of the field is not the only problem that arises from the impressive 3-0 win on Tuesday night. Ben White, who played the last minute of that victory, had not seen anywhere on Saturday after suffering a blow to training. Arteta said: “I could not be in a state to be in the team today and be selected, so we have a few days, but we will have to wait and see.”
This has proven to be a damn seasonal kind in the Arsenal injury front. Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka have lost several months, the latter of the three players that require surgery in their hamstrings this season. Gabriel will rule it out for the rest of the campaign While Kai Havertz’s participation in recent weeks is Touch and Go.
