Leicester City is set to face Arsenal in the upcoming Premier League match this weekend, albeit without three of their key players. Jannik Vestergaard, Jakub Stolarczyk, and Patson Daka have all been ruled out due to foot and ankle injuries. The squad remains unchanged from the one that recently faced Everton.
Vestergaard, Stolarczyk, and Daka's absence will undoubtedly be felt during the clash at Emirates Stadium. Despite these setbacks, the rest of the Leicester squad remains fit for action. This includes those who participated in the Carabao Cup match against Walsall.
Stolarczyk has been sidelined since July after suffering a foot injury during training just two weeks into Steve Cooper’s tenure as manager. Although he recently made a breakthrough in his recovery and resumed light training, he is still expected to be out for another six to eight weeks.
Arsenal's struggle with injuries
On the other hand, Arsenal returns to Premier League action this weekend after a gruelling series of away fixtures including a North London Derby and high-stakes clash against Manchester City. The Gunners are already grappling with an extensive injury list that has left as many as eight first-team players sidelined.
Key players such as Martin Ødegaard, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Ben White, Jurrien Timber and even goalkeeper David Raya are nursing injuries ahead of their game against Leicester City. Manager Mikel Arteta will be hoping that at least some like Raya White and Timber recover in time for Saturday’s match.
A glimmer of hope for Leicester
Despite these challenges on both sides due to injuries sustained by key players; there is some good news for Leicester fans too. Manager Steve Cooper confirmed that despite a few knocks from the match against Everton, the rest of his squad is in good shape.
Leicester City manager, Steve Cooper, said:
“We had a few bumps and bruises from the Everton game, and some lads couldn’t make it on Tuesday, But everyone came through Tuesday’s game okay. Jannik Vestergaard remains unavailable, so it’s the same squad as the last Premier League match. He’s walked out on the grass today, so he’s making good progress, We’re getting great reports on his attitude towards recovery. The injury was so innocuous—he was just playing a back pass and broke his foot. But he’s been really positive, and we’re hopeful we’ll see him back sooner rather than later.”
Notable players such as Harry Winks, Wilfred Ndidi, Stephy Mavididi and Jamie Vardy who were rested for the midweek cup tie are fit and available for selection. Vardy, who took a knock to the ankle against Everton has also been cleared to play despite missing a couple of training sessions earlier in the week.
The upcoming Premier League clash between Leicester City and Arsenal promises to be an exciting one despite both teams grappling with injuries. As both sides prepare their strategies without some key players, it will be interesting to see how they adapt and perform under these challenging circumstances.
