Arsenal defender Oleksandr Zinchenko has hinted that he is close to a return from injury ahead of the Gunners' Premier League clash against West Ham United.
The Irons will head across to north London on Boxing Day for the resumption of Premier League fixtures after a six-week break due to the World Cup. David Moyes’ side face a tough first game back against an Arsenal team that sit atop the table at Christmas.
But Mikel Arteta’s side have a number of injury concerns, most notably the absence of key striker Gabriel Jesus. The Brazilian, who has five goals and six assists since his summer transfer from Manchester City, underwent an operation after picking up a knee whilst out in Qatar. Reports suggest Jesus could be out for up to three months but Gunners boss Arteta has not put a timeframe on his recovery.
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“We are all behind him. We are all supporting him,” Zinchenko told Sky Sports about Jesus’ injury. “Obviously it is a big miss for our team. The impact in what he is doing for the club is amazing. I’ve known him for a while. He’s a big warrior and I’m 100 per cent sure he will be back much much stronger.”
As for Zinchenko, the Ukrainian international has missed a number of games for Arsenal this season due to injury for Arsenal. Knee problems ruled him out of two Premier League fixtures in August and a calf injury kept him sidelined for a month shortly after that.
The left-back is currently dealing with a muscle problem that has seen him miss Arsenal’s pre-season friendlies against Watford and Lyon. He was also absent for Sunday’s training session in Dubai.
Football.london understands that the injury is not the same calf problem from earlier in the season and that the current issue is a minor one. Arsenal have a friendly against AC Milan on Tuesday, although Zinchenko is not expected to feature.
However, the Ukrainian revealed to Sky Sports that he is on the mend and he hopes to be back playing as soon as possible. He said: “I have a little muscle tightness but I’m nearly there so I don’t worry about this. Obviously I am also working hard to get my fitness back and to be with the team as quick as I can.
“It’s the worst feeling to be out of the team. Last couple of months I was struggling a lot but I hope everything is in the past already. I am fully focused and so excited for the rest of the season.”
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