Confirmed: Five players are absent from Arsenal’s training ahead of against Atalanta match, while a key player’s return provides a significant boost for Arteta…

Arsenal’s training session has been impacted by the absence of several squad members.

Confirmation has been received that five players are not participating in Arsenal’s training ahead of their game against Atalanta, although the return of an important player offers a positive development for Arteta.

Charles Watts has disclosed that Arsenal will be missing five first-team players during Wednesday morning’s training session in preparation for their upcoming Champions League match against Atalanta.

The Gunners are currently facing an injury crisis in their midfield, with several key players absent from the squad that secured a victory over Tottenham in the North London Derby, where Gabriel Magalhaes scored the decisive goal in the second half.

Declan Rice, who was suspended for the previous match, has returned to training and is set to travel to Bergamo. However, the absence of five players from training indicates they are unlikely to participate against the reigning Europa League champions.

Reporting from London Colney, journalist Charles Watts noted that while the return of Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori to training is a positive development, five regular first-team players remain unavailable, which limits Arteta’s options.

 

Martin Odegaard is still sidelined due to an ankle injury sustained during international duty, and Mikel Merino is in recovery from a shoulder fracture incurred in his first training session after joining from Real Sociedad.

Defenders Oleksandr Zinchenko, Takehiro Tomiyasu, and Kieran Tierney are also injured and not participating in training, effectively ruling them out of the Thursday night match against the Serie A team.

Arteta faces critical decisions regarding his lineup, especially with players returning and a significant Premier League encounter against Manchester City scheduled for this Sunday, just under 72 hours after the Atalanta fixture.

Rice is expected to return to the lineup after serving his suspension, while Jorginho and Thomas Partey will be competing to retain their positions in midfield.

Jurrien Timber delivered an impressive performance at left-back against Spurs, which may result in Calafiori having to accept a spot on the bench again, even though he is fit to resume training.