Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta may not be able to call upon a "warrior" in his squad for the rest of the 2024/2025 Premier League season, with a decision on the matter seemingly looming.
Arsenal prepare for Tottenham after 1-1 draw with Brighton
The north Londoners have two vital Premier League games awaiting them right after the international break, with trips to both north London neighbours Tottenham and title rivals Man City on the horizon.
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Arsenal will also be looking to put their first dropped points of the season behind them, following their disappointing 1-1 draw at home to Brighton last weekend, when they also lost star midfielder Declan Rice to suspension.
Rice picked up two yellow cards during the encounter, and was perhaps harshly sent off, after his second bookable offence for kicking the ball away. The England star will therefore miss Arsenal's all-important clash against Tottenham, dealing a big blow to Arteta who must now cope without such a crucial player in his starting eleven.
Tottenham (away)
September 15
Man City (away)
September 22
Leicester City (home)
September 28
Southampton (home)
October 5
Bournemouth (away)
October 19
As well as Rice, Arsenal will be without summer signing Mikel Merino for nearly two months, after the Spaniard fractured his shoulder in his first ever training session at London Colney – not exactly the ideal start to life in London for him.
Arteta now has to decide how they will cope without both Rice and Merino. Some reports suggest that Arsenal are planning to slot Havertz into midfield with Sterling as a false nine, and as Arteta contemplates this tactical tweak, he must also decide on his final squad for the season.
Kieran Tierney could be ineligible for the rest of Arsenal's season
The deadline for each club to submit their full and final Premier League squad is September 13, and left-back Kieran Tierney will be a point of much debate within the club in this regard.
While the former Celtic star has now been included in their Champions League squad, which was seen as a shock choice considering he hasn't played for them for a year, Arteta still has some thinking to do in regard to Tierney as a domestic choice.
As relayed by London World, Tierney may not be included in Arsenal's final Premier League squad, and that would make him ineligible for the rest of this Premier League season domestically.
While the £120,000-per-week ace could return from his hamstring injury after the international break, and could be available for Spurs, it is a point of contention whether Tierney will even be selected in Arteta's final Premier League draft.
If Arsenal opt to leave the Scotland international in Premier League limbo, they must inform him soon, so he could potentially decide to chase up a move to Greece or Turkey if he doesn't want to solely be a squad player for Europe.
The Turkish and Greek windows remain open until the end of next week, so a loan move abroad would be a solution for the 27-year-old who's suffered from a plague of fitness issues in recent years – despite some praise.
"He has been solid," Ashley Cole told Sky Sports in 2021 (via The Metro). "I think he would have liked to see more game time, he’s had a few injuries that hampered his season. When he’s in the team, they are a different team, he’s willing to defend, he’s that kind of leader and warrior they need in this team.
"There were those questions marks over him and his ability to come from Scottish fooball and adapt to the Premier League. But I think he’s adapted very well.
"He’s got those leadership qualities which are needed along with the younger players in there. When he doesn’t play they miss him on he left. for me, he can defend which is a plus."
