Sports
Will Trossard Play in Chelsea vs Arsenal? Injury Expert Gives Verdict
An injury expert has delivered their verdict on whether Leandro Trossard will be fit enough to feature in Arsenal’s top-of-the-table clash with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon. While manager Mikel Arteta confirmed in midweek that the Belgian had avoided a serious injury during the Gunners’ impressive 3-1 win over Bayern Munich, it remains unclear whether he will be sidelined for their biggest Premier League fixture of the season so far.
The Belgium winger has become instrumental in recent weeks to the north London side’s success, with his tally of four direct goal contributions across his last three league outings helping Arteta’s side become less reliant on set-pieces for goals, as Trossard offers a different dimension to their attacking output.
A win over Chelsea this weekend could see Arsenal extend their lead at the top of the Premier League to nine points heading into the congested winter schedule – something that could prove vital to their efforts to end a league-title drought of a little over two decades. With that in mind, Arteta and co. will be hoping as many players as possible are fit heading into such an important stage of the season.
Injury Expert Casts Verdict on Trossard’s Availability
While Arsenal have been mostly unlucky when it comes to the treatment table over the last couple of campaigns – with the likes of Kai Havertz and Gabriel being the most notable current absentees – it looks like they can count their lucky stars with Trossard’s setback, with injury expert the Physio Scout claiming it’s a good chance it’s only minor. He wrote on X (see the post below):
“Based on the physio’s tests, it looks like the affected area was more the soleus than the gastrocnemius muscle. Its role is typically for muscle endurance as opposed to explosive, fast movements.
“Expected Recovery Times: Grade 1: 0.5 weeks – 2 weeks. Typically, calf injuries are considered day-to-day injuries and do improve faster than other muscular injuries. Arteta added: ‘It doesn’t look much, so we still have a few hours, and we’ll have to see, it’s a potential chance (that he will be available).’ Good chance it’s only minor.”
As such, it seems as though there is a good chance Trossard is involved in some capacity vs Chelsea. Although the game might come just a little soon for him.
Arsenal Head to Stamford Bridge With Huge Opportunity
Having lost six of their seven Premier League away games against Chelsea between 2013 and 2018, Arsenal are now unbeaten in their last six visits to Stamford Bridge. Should they take all three points this weekend, it would serve as a huge statement of intent, showing just how far the Gunners have come since being mocked for their supposed mentality issues.
A loss would blow the title race wide open, but a win would be a worrying reminder of just how well Arteta has set up his side this term. Arsenal boast the best defensive record across Europe’s top five leagues – fewest goals conceded, fewest shots on target faced, and the most clean sheets. If an in-form Blues side can’t disrupt that purple patch, then whether anyone can is very much up for debate.
