Martín Zubimendi could be fit to face Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Sunday, having missed the midweek win over Lille with an ankle injury. He hurt it after spending the whole 2-1 win over Leeds on the bench, in the warm-down by one account, though Mikel Merino describes a freak accident in training involving the two of them. "He is a bull and recovers quickly," Merino said. Mikel Arteta was more careful: "I'm very hopeful, but we have to see how this evolves."
All of Zubimendi's Premier League appearances this season have come off the bench, but Bayern Munich away follows straight after Forest, so Arteta needs every fit midfielder.
Piero Hincapié hurt his ankle in the same session and will need "probably another week or two", so he misses Forest. Christos Tzolis had another MRI on Thursday on the hamstring he hurt with Greece. William Saliba, still recovering from a long-standing back problem, is the only other absentee.
Tzolis came back from international duty injured, but Viktor Gyokeres came back having scored in four consecutive Nations League games for Sweden. A month ago Arteta had backed him to use the break as a springboard. His goalless run for Arsenal reached 13 matches against Lille, though Arteta said he'd been "in front of goal with no keeper" three or four times "and the ball should arrive to him, and it doesn't." The Sweden goals show the finishing hasn't gone, so the service is what Arsenal need to fix.
Jurrien Timber scored against Lille and was man of the match. If he plays on Sunday, it'll be his 100th Arsenal appearance, more than three years after he joined from Ajax in 2023. Injuries explain the wait, since he's sat out upwards of 80 games. His Premier League debut came against Forest on 12 August 2023 and ended with a cruciate ligament tear, which makes them a fitting opponent for the milestone. "When he's physically at his best, he's an unbelievable player," Arteta said.
Arteta defended the decision to cut 60 jobs, or up to 60 by another account, saying he'd been told it was needed to "achieve the success we want to create".
Saliba missed this week's team photo because of a medical appointment, and Arteta says it will be taken again with him in it.
Georgia Stanway joined in the summer to a midfield Renee Slegers had built around Mariona and Kim Little, and she told Arseblog News she "never" wants to "change something that has been working". In the three games before the break she played higher than at the start of the season, because Kyra Cooney-Cross sat deeper behind her. She scored her first Arsenal goal in the 2-2 draw with Paris FC, then scored in both of England's games during the break. A side 10th in the WSL after five games needs a midfielder getting into the box, and Birmingham City visit the Emirates at 12:45 today.
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