Arsenal’s defensive injury crisis is easing ahead of hosting Leeds United in the Premier League on Saturday, October 10th. Key defenders Ben White, Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie have all returned to training this week.
White missed one game with a hamstring problem, while Mosquera was absent for five matches with a similar issue. Hincapie, who was an unused substitute in Arsenal’s 3-0 loss to Brighton before the international break, has started just one game this season. He suffered a muscular injury in training after the Napoli match and missed two games, and a subsequent groin issue kept him out of Ecuador’s recent friendlies.
Manager Mikel Arteta provided an update on long-term absentee William Saliba. "He is currently resting," Arteta said. "He had to do almost nothing, an aggravated injury, so it’s going to take some time to heal. We know that." Saliba is planning a return in November.
Forward Christos Tzolis is also expected to miss three weeks after picking up an injury on international duty with Greece. The returns come at a vital time for the defending champions, who face 12 matches across three competitions in October and November.
Leeds United, who sit fifth in the Premier League with nine points from five games, travel to the Emirates Stadium this weekend. Their last result was a 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace on September 20th, part of a recent run of form that reads one win, three draws and one loss from their last five. Dominic Calvert-Lewin leads their scoring charts with three goals this season.
The fixture pits the league’s second-placed side against the fifth, with Leeds looking to close a six-point gap to leaders Manchester City. Arsenal will hope their returning defenders can help contain a Leeds attack that put four past Newcastle United last month. Arsenal's next fixtures are key, with this match followed by a Champions League trip to face PSV Eindhoven.
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