Things could not have gone much better for Arsenal this season so far. With just 10 games remaining of the season, the Gunners have an eight point lead at the top of the Premier League and a genuine shot at winning their first title in nearly 20 years. First though they have to navigate the dreaded international break.
Last year Arsenal found themselves in a good position to finish in the top four before a knee injury sustained by Kieran Tierney while on Scotland duty derailed their progress. Even as recently as the last international break they lost Gabriel Jesus for months to a knee injury sustained at the World Cup in Qatar. As the next 10 days tick by, Mikel Arteta admitted that he will be hoping for better luck this time around.
"I want to think positively," the Arsenal boss said in his press conference after the 4-1 win over Crystal Palace last week. "Touch wood, but I want to think positive. They’re going to have to play games, they have to do it in the way that they do it here or possibly even better with their country. We are in contact with all of them, they know how to look after them and hopefully it will all work out."
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Thus far Arsenal have got through unscathed. But while the likes of Oleksandr Zinchenko, Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka will be busy on international duty, Arteta himself will have his hands full during the break. Here football.london takes a look at some of the issues he might be looking to solve before his players return to London Colney next week.
William Saliba and Bukayo Saka contracts
It might be slightly harder to finalise Bukayo Saka's contract over the coming days given that he's off with England, although it seems more a matter of when not if, regarding when the 21-year-old will sign his new deal. When it comes to William Saliba though things aren't quite as certain.
The 22-year-old pulled out of the France squad with a back injury that is likely to leave him as a doubt for the Premier League clash against Leeds after the international break. While he's still in London though, Mikel Arteta might want to use this time to turn on the charm offensive in order to convince Saliba to stay.
The French international will have just one year left on his deal come the summer after Arsenal triggered an extension option. The Gunners are very keen to extend his deal in order to tie down arguably the best young centre back in world football right now.
Getting Jesus sharp
One of the many highlights of Arsenal's 3-0 win over Fulham a couple of weeks ago was the return of Gabriel Jesus. The Brazilian had been out for four months after suffering a knee injury during the World Cup with Brazil.
Since that afternoon at Craven Cottage, Jesus has started the Europa League loss to Sporting CP, and come off the bench again during the 4-1 win over Crystal Palace. The plan now is to have him back fully firing for after the international break.
His return could not be more perfectly timed as Arsenal come into the home stretch of the Premier League title race. Jesus isn't necessarily guaranteed his starting spot back though, with Leandro Trossard playing exceptionally well as the false nine in his absence.
Work on a back up play at right back
Arsenal fans have been relatively understated in their reaction to the news that Takehiro Tomiyasu will be out for the rest of the season. This though is probably because they're yet to realise how big a blow it truly is.
The Japan international may not have been a regular starter this season, but the cover he provides across the defence has been crucial to managing the minutes of the Gunners' back four. Ben White has generally been the first choice right back this season, but he has only completed 11 of the 26 league games he's started.
The England international has an excellent injury record, but demanding him to play every minute between now and the end of the season will be a big ask. With some down time to assess his options Arteta may now want to look at a plan B in case something were to happen to White. Thomas Partey was moved to right back during the closing stages of the Crystal Palace win, while Bukayo Saka and Reiss Nelson have both played right wing back in the past. Options are there, even if none of them are ideal, and now is the time to figure out the best one.
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