Arsenal prepare to take on Premier League new boys AFC Bournemouth in their third game of the 2022-23 campaign on Saturday, where another three points will be the main objective as the Gunners aim to continue their perfect start.
Mikel Arteta has been fortunate to not have too many injury concerns to contend with so far in the past fortnight, but the Spaniard is still waiting to deputise summer signing Fabio Vieira, while fellow youngster Reiss Nelson has picked up his own injury ahead of this weekend.
Here is all you need to know about the current state of play at the Emirates Stadium and the expected return dates for those out injured.
Fabio Vieira
Midfielder Fabio Vieira had failed to recover from his foot injury in time to feature in Arsenal ’s first two games of the new season but now he is set to be available for contention for Saturday’s trip to the south coast to face Bournemouth.
Vieira is yet to make his debut for the Gunners since becoming the club’s third signing of the summer after sealing a £34.26 million move from Porto on June 21, although the 22-year-old has been injured ever since and was unable to play a single game for the Gunners during pre-season.
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Vieira has been struggling with a foot injury that he sustained while on international duty with Portugal’s Under-21s back in June but has now made a full recovery and even featured for Arsenal's Under-21s on Wednesday. The attacking midfielder is unlikely to start on Saturday, but a place on the bench can be expected.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Friday, Arteta said: "Everybody is okay. Cedric, Fabio and Emile played for the Under- 21s. They are okay, they have trained all week so they are available."
Reiss Nelson
Arsenal winger Reiss Nelson will be hoping to make a real impact on the first team this season on his return to the club this campaign, having spent last year out on loan at Eredivisie outfit Feyenoord, where he recorded four goals and seven assists across all competitions.
Nelson featured in all but one of Arsenal’s seven pre-season friendlies over the summer, before he was named on the bench for their season opener at Crystal Palace two weeks ago. However, he was left out of the squad completely for last week’s victory over Leicester City.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference last Friday, Arteta said: “He felt something in training. We scanned it, and the doctor came with some bad news. It’s a muscular injury, and hopefully, he will be back soon.”
Nelson is now expected to be ruled out for the foreseeable future as he begins his recovery, and will therefore miss Saturday’s trip to Bournemouth, while a fresh update on his situation can be expected in the coming weeks as Arteta aims to get him back to full fitness.
