Arsenal have been handed a huge boost ahead of Saturday’s North London derby after it was revealed that Dejan Kulusevski is now a major doubt for Tottenham.
The Gunners head into this weekend’s clash at the top of the Premier League and one point ahead of the Lilywhites, knowing that a defeat would see them knocked off their perch, but playing on home soil will give them an added boost.
However, they may have just been handed an even bigger advantage before a ball has even been kicked following the news that Kulusevski is unlikely to feature for Spurs in two days’ time following an injury picked up on international duty.
As first reported by The Athletic, Kulusevski is a major doubt for Antonio Conte’s side after suffering a suspected hamstring injury whilst on international duty with Sweden.
The winger featured twice for his country in UEFA Nations League clashes over the past week, beginning with a 4-1 defeat to Serbia on Saturday, where he recorded an assist, before playing the full 90 minutes in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with Slovenia.
And it is in that most recent fixture just two days ago that he picked up the problem. He has since returned to Tottenham for a scan and will now be closely monitored by club medical staff ahead of this weekend - although he faces a race against time to be fit.
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Even if he does not miss out completely and is restricted to a place on the bench, it is still a major boost for Arsenal to not have to deal with his attacking threat. Since joining Spurs on an 18-month loan from Juventus in January, Kulusevski has shone in the top flight.
In just 25 Premier League appearances, he has contributed with six goals and 11 assists and played a huge part in Tottenham beating Arsenal to a top four finish last season. As of the current campaign, he has one goal and three assists from nine games.
The Swede was replaced by Richarlison for a run of three games earlier this month, but on his return to the starting lineup in Tottenham’s latest fixture against Leicester City, it took him just eight minutes of the contest to set up Harry Kane’s equaliser in a 6-2 win.
That’s not to say that his expected replacement, Richarlison, is not a handful himself, but it is no secret as to how deadly Kulusevski’s partnership in attack is alongside Kane and Son Heung-min, while he is a much more natural winger than the Brazilian.
And on the subject of injuries, Arsenal’s luck could be improving as full back’s Oleksandr Zinchenko, Kieran Tierney and Cedric Soares are expected to be fit to face Spurs this weekend, while Thomas Partey will continue to be assessed after an early return from international duty with Ghana.
Reiss Nelson is also expected to be available for selection after returning to first team training following a long-term injury, although Emile Smith Rowe has joined Mohamed Elneny on the sidelines for the foreseeable future after recently undergoing surgery.
