December 23rd 2024.
Bukayo Saka, the talented young winger of Arsenal, is facing a possible injury that could keep him off the field for a while. The team, however, is determined to continue their winning streak as they prepare to face Ipswich Town in the Premier League on Friday. After a series of disappointing draws, the Gunners bounced back with a convincing 5-1 victory over Crystal Palace, closing the gap on Chelsea in the second spot and extending their unbeaten run to ten games in all competitions.
Unfortunately, the win was overshadowed by Saka's injury in the first half, which caused him to be substituted after only 24 minutes. In a press conference on Monday, manager Mikel Arteta expressed his worries about the severity of Saka's hamstring problem, which has been confirmed by scans and will keep him out of the lineup for the upcoming Christmas period at the very least. As a result, Arteta is now considering his options for a replacement, including Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, and Ethan Nwaneri.
Adding to their injury woes, Arsenal will also be without Raheem Sterling, who sustained a knee injury during training last week. Arteta revealed that the 30-year-old will also be out for a significant amount of time, pending further testing. With both Saka and Sterling unavailable, Arteta will have to carefully consider his lineup for the upcoming match against Ipswich Town.
One player who is expected to keep his place in the starting XI is Gabriel Jesus, who has been in top form with five goals in his last two games. Havertz, who played in a deeper midfield position in the previous match, could also feature in the starting lineup alongside returning midfielder Declan Rice. The Englishman, who scored off the bench in the last game, could replace Thomas Partey at the base of midfield, considering the latter's history of injuries.
In defense, Riccardo Calafiori could make a return, potentially replacing Myles Lewis-Skelly who was substituted in the second half of the last game. However, the Italian may not be risked from the start as he has been dealing with injuries since joining Arsenal. Other players who are expected to remain sidelined for this match include Oleksandr Zinchenko, Ben White, and Takehiro Tomiyasu.
The predicted Arsenal lineup for the match against Ipswich Town is as follows: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Odegaard, Rice, Havertz; Martinelli, Jesus, Trossard. The match will kick off at 8:15 pm on Friday, December 27 and will be broadcasted on Amazon Prime in the United Kingdom.
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