Eight players could miss Arsenal vs Chelsea after double injury updates
Mikel Arteta and Xabi Alonso have late selection decisions to make after their teams' final training sessions(Image: Getty Images)
Arsenal and Chelsea both face being without multiple players as they look to continue their winning starts to this Premier League season when they meet at Emirates Stadium.
The hosts could have as many as five members of their squad missing, with Mikel Arteta and his staff to decide on the availability of four after Saturday's training session. Three of those doubts are from knocks sustained during Monday night's 1-0 win away to Aston Villa.
Just six days separate that last match from their next fixture. That is one less than their opponents, who had the same turnaround last week.
Bruno Guimaraes is one of those whose availability is in doubt after his involvement from the substitutes' bench at Villa Park. Speaking at his press conference on Friday, the Arsenal manager said: "Yeah, he had a knock against Villa.
"He's being assessed, but probably tomorrow (Saturday) he'll be OK for training." It was a similar story for Cristhian Mosquera, who went down holding his thigh before Ezri Konsa replaced him to debut for the Gunners against his former club.
Arteta said of the substitution: "It was more precaution than anything else. So we'll have to see tomorrow (Saturday) in the session to see how he feels."
Declan Rice was also visibly limping when Martin Zubimendi came on for him five minutes from time. However, the England international trained on Thursday and was not mentioned by the manager in his pre-match press conference.
Jurrien Timber also joined his team-mates out on the grass and has a chance of making the matchday squad. Arteta said: "Yeah, he is in really good condition at the moment.
"As I said, he's been on the pitch for a few weeks, and he's training with us now. We'll decide tomorrow after training [if he will make the squad]."
William Saliba, though, remains a while away from returning. Arteta acknowledged: "We don't really know the number of weeks Wilo is going to be out because it's about a healing process and everything is a bit different.
"We know we have to respect certain timings. The progression has been really positive in the last few weeks, but we need to wait and see how that one reacts when we start to put some load into it."
As for Chelsea, it is Moises Caicedo whose fitness Xabi Alonso is sweating on. Speaking in his press conference on Friday, the manager said: "We will check tomorrow (Saturday), as tomorrow is the last decision for the squad on Sunday."
Marco Palestra is another player on the sideline. Alonso, however, did not mention the summer signing during his press conference.
But, speaking on Wednesday at the Gran Gala del Calcio , held inside Milan's Teatro alla Scala , while accepting an award for making the Serie A Team of the Season, the player said: "I'm fine, it's still a few days away, but I feel much better." He did not train with his team-mates on Thursday, though.
Jordan Henderson is another who will be missing. Alonso acknowledged last week that they are still waiting for him to be given "the green light to play soon."
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