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Mikel Arteta has revealed that Emile Smith Rowe experienced ‘some discomfort’ during Thursday’s 3-2 loss to Manchester United, while Granit Xhaka is nearing a return after his long-term injury.
The Gunners suffered defeat against the Red Devils as they missed out on the opportunity to make up the ground on the top four.
However, they have the chance to instantly bounce back when they travel to Goodison Park to take on Rafael Benitez’s struggling Everton on Monday night.
Smith Rowe, who opened the scoring for the Gunners against United, was taken off after 70 minutes at Old Trafford and replaced by Bukayo Saka.
Arteta has admitted that the 21-year-old academy graduate will need further assessment ahead of the Everton clash.
‘He had some discomfort during the game and we decided to take him off,’ Arteta told a press conference.
‘He’s been evolving well over the last few days, so we have to wait until tomorrow to see how he is.’
Meanwhile, Xhaka is edging closer to a return to action following the knee injury he suffered in late September.
The Switzerland international midfielder wasn’t expected to stage his comeback until January 2022, however, Arteta is feeling positive about his progress.
‘He is progressing well, he is doing all the right things and he’s feeling better but no more news on that,’ added the Spaniard.
‘It’s very positive because the evolution he is doing is great, he is partially training with the team and he is heading in the right direction.’
When pressed on whether he could return in time to face Everton, Arteta replied: ‘This week he has progressed again to a different level, and tomorrow we will assess how he is, have a conversation with him and decide when is the best moment to start to give him some exposure in games.
‘We miss him, he…
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Source : metro
