ARSENAL may miss five first-team players for their opening game against Crystal Palace.
Mikel Arteta revealed that defenders Kieran Tierney, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Ben White could all be absent.
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Tomiyasu and White waver as Tierney, who missed the last 10 games of last season, suffered a recurrence of his knee injury in a friendly match earlier this month.
Arteta could also have without two major creative outlets in Emile Smith Rowe and in the summer Fabio Vieira.
Smith Rowe has a muscle problem and so is more likely to be available for selection than Vieira who has a bone problem.
The midfielder was spotted in a protective boot at the beginning of the month and has yet to start training with his new teammates.
arteta shared an update saying “We have Kieran [Tierney] with a small problem we have Emile [Smith Rowe] with a muscular problem, Tomiyasu and Ben . too [White].
“[Fabio] Vieira has a little problem with his bone, hopefully he will start training in a week or so.”
Arsenal’s injury crisis is a repeat of last season, when injuries and absence from Covid left Arteta fielding a weakened team in an opening day defeat to Brentford.
Two more defeats followed for the archers against Chelsea and Manchester City before players like Gabriel and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang returned to the team.
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To make matters worse, Arsenal are in for a tricky opening day trip to Crystal Palace – a team they’ve only beaten once in their last eight encounters.
Arsenal then welcome Leicester to their first home game before taking on Premier League newboys Bournemouth and Fulham.