Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has a few injury concerns heading into the final match of the Premier League season against Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Gunners already have several players on the sidelines, including David Luiz, Dani Ceballos, and Martin Odegaard.
Arteta will also be without the services of Pablo Mari, who picked up an ankle injury during the warm-up ahead of Arsenal‘s clash with Crystal Palace on Wednesday. The club’s medical staff is evaluating the severity of the injury, but Mari is expected to miss the season finale.
Another player who is unlikely to play against Wolves is former captain Granit Xhaka. The Swiss midfielder was taken off at half-time during Arsenal‘s win over Palace due to a groin problem. Arteta said that Xhaka’s assessment will be done on Friday, but he is not hopeful of having the midfielder available.
Arteta will also have to decide whether to risk Kieran Tierney and Alexandre Lacazette against Wolves. The pair missed the Palace game due to injury but are back in training. However, with nothing significant riding on the game, the manager might opt to rest them in preparation for next week’s Europa League final.
The good news for Arteta is that Thomas Partey is back after missing the last three games due to injury. The Ghanaian midfielder played the entire 90 minutes against Palace and will be a vital part of Arsenal‘s midfield against Wolves.
Arsenal‘s win over Palace on Wednesday kept their slim hopes of European qualification alive, but they will need to defeat Wolves and hope that results elsewhere go their way if they are to secure a place in next season’s Europa League.
This injury news adds to a season that has seen Arsenal struggle to maintain fitness and momentum throughout the campaign. With just one game left, Arteta will be hoping to have his best possible XI available to end the season on a high and give them a much-needed boost heading into the summer.
