Mikel Arteta confirms Leandro Trossard injury blow

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Leandro Trossard picked up an injury during the first half of the Premier League win over Bournemouth.

The Belgian joined the Gunners from Brighton & Hove Albion in January and he has proved a key figure with one goal and two assists in the top-flight.

However, the 28-year-old could now be sidelined for a while after sustaining a possible muscle injury while tracking back for a Bournemouth counter-attack.

The ‘really good‘ star was replaced by Emile Smith Rowe midway through the opening half and Arteta has now said that the attacker’s injury will need to be assessed.

He told Arsenal.com: “It is a worry. He came to me straight away and told me he could not continue because he’d felt something when he was tracking back after the corner. We have to assess him and see how he is.”

Arsenal have injury cover for Trossard

Losing Trossard with an injury would be a blow for the Gunners, but Arteta now has sufficient depth in the squad in the form of Emile Smith Rowe and Reiss Nelson.

Smith Rowe played over 40 minutes against the Cherries. The club graduate looked rusty after his long-term injury absence but provided a vital assist for Thomas Partey’s goal.

Meanwhile, Nelson replicated his heroics against Nottingham Forest from October. He immediately grabbed an assist before his dramatic last-gasp winner with a stellar strike.

If Trossard and Eddie Nketiah are unavailable in midweek. we should see Gabriel Martinelli play up front with Smith Rowe and Nelson sharing the minutes from the left wing.

Arsenal face Sporting Lisbon on the road in the first leg of their Europa League last 32 tie on Thursday.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com