Arsenal forward Eddie Nketiah could be fit for the Emirates Stadium outfit’s trip to Fulham this weekend, injury analyst Ben Dinnery has suggested to GIVEMESPORT.
The striker missed Mikel Arteta’s side’s thrilling 3-2 victory over Bournemouth at the weekend after picking up a knock earlier this month.
Arsenal injury news – Eddie Nketiah
As per Football.London, Nketiah picked up a knock to his right ankle in Arsenal’s 4-0 victory over Everton last week and headed straight down the tunnel at the final whistle.
During his press conference before the league leaders’ clash with Bournemouth last weekend, Arteta admitted that the situation regarding the 23-year-old was a bit “uncertain”, stating: “We are assessing him. It’s a bit uncertain what will happen with him to be honest in the training sessions. Let’s see, let’s keep the options open. He’s very positive about it and hopefully he’ll be fine.”
Journalist Dean Jones recently suggested to GIVEMESPORT that some sections of the Arsenal fan base were being “ridiculous” for criticising Nketiah’s performance in the side’s 1-1 draw with Brentford last month, with the striker being thrown into the spotlight following Gabriel Jesus’ knee injury suffered at the World Cup.
And Dinnery believes that the backup centre-forward’s knock is not something that is expected to be “too serious.”
What has Dinnery said about Nketiah?
Dinnery told GIVEMESPORT: “This is not something that we expect to be too serious. I certainly wouldn’t rule him out of next weekend’s games.
“This is a good opportunity just to get a little bit of rest whilst not involved and see how he responds to treatment this week.”
How has Nketiah performed for Arsenal this season?
Nketiah has acted as an admirable backup to Jesus this season, with the Brazilian’s lay-off not being the catalyst for an Arsenal collapse as of yet.
The £100,000 per-week earner has hit the back of the net four times and provided one assist in the Premier League since the competition’s return following the break for the World Cup, with the Gunners keeping hold of their spot at the top of the league for now.
The 5 foot 11 star compares favourably with his positional peers in some aspects of his game, ranking in the top 7% of forwards across Europe’s big five leagues as well as the Champions League and Europa League for touches in the opposition penalty area (6.74) and top 9% for progressive carries per 90 minutes (2.79) over the last 365 days, according to FBref.
Therefore, Arteta will be hoping that Nketiah will be fit for Sunday’s trip to Craven Cottage, with the Gunners falling light on out-and-out centre-forward options should the former England U21 star be unfit for action.
