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Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Arsenal facing potential injury crisis after just ONE game and huge transfer spree
Arsenal started their Premier League season with a 1-0 win over Manchester United, but already have injury problems to deal with ahead of their match against Leeds Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta may have to improvise when he names his starting XI to face Leeds this weekend due to injuries. The Gunners began their Premier League campaign with a 1-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford, but it may have come at a cost. Ben White started the game at right-back before being replaced by Jurrien Timber, but both now appear to be struggling with injuries. The defensive duo's appearances were limited last season by fitness concerns and there were concerning signs at training on Wednesday. White did not join his team-mates in first-team training and instead underwent an individual session while Timber took part in opening training, but missed the subsequent section. White was in conversation with club physio Simon Murphy as he walked off in the 71st minute at Old Trafford. The 27-year-old defender only managed 26 appearances in all competitions last season due to a knee injury that required surgery. Timber, meanwhile, was unused during the entirety of Arsenal 's pre-season tour of Singapore and Hong Kong. The Dutchman has struggled with an ankle injury in recent months and is still battling to find full fitness. Arsenal have spent over £200million to sign Viktor Gyokeres, Martin Zubimendi, Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera, Christian Norgaard and Kepa Arrizabalaga, while Eberechi Eze is on the way from Crystal Palace in a £67.5m deal, but they lack cover at right-back if White and Timber can't start against Leeds on Saturday evening. Thomas Partey often filled in last season, but he has left this summer, meaning another defender may have to play out of position this weekend. Arteta is due to speak to reporters on Friday in a pre-match press conference, where he may provide an update on White and Timber. However, it is the injury to Kai Havertz which is most concerning. The Germany international injured his knee at Old Trafford and the club are still waiting for a full assessment of the severity of the problem. The fact Arsenal moved quickly on Wednesday to hijack Tottenham's move for Eze suggests it could be significant. The Gunners are already without Gabriel Jesus, who has a long-term knee injury, while Norgaard missed the United trip with a minor issue too. Arsenal have finished second for three straight years in the Premier League, but William Saliba believes their work in the transfer window could make all the difference. 'Of course we've finished second for three years in a row, and we know that we always miss something,' he said at the PFA Awards this week. 'Now it's a new season, we have to see what we didn't do well enough to win the league. 'We won the first game and of course we want to win the league, and we will give everything. We have to try to be even better than the last three seasons to win this league. 'We know that the new players who came to help us, and I'm sure that they will help us to win some trophies. Of course we are already better with them. Let's see.' Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
The Irish Sun
10 hours ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Arsenal files: Arteta facing injury crisis just one game into season as Max Dowman, 15, set to follow Ethan Nwaneri path
DESPITE a solid window to provide depth in several positions, Mikel Arteta could be sweating on having a fit and available right-back to start against Leeds on Saturday. During their open training session at the Emirates on Wednesday, Ben White – who struggled with injury last term – was missing from the squad. 7 Mikel Arteta is facing another injury headache for Arsenal's next Premier League outing Credit: Reuters 7 Ben White was missing from Arsenal's team during an open training session on Wednesday Credit: Getty SunSport were assured that it was nothing major and that he was simply taking part in an individual training session away from the group. Arteta 's other right-back Jurrien Timber – another to be dogged down by injuries since signing for Arsenal in the summer of 2023 from Ajax – had surgery on a troublesome ankle issue back in May and was unused during their pre-season tour of Singapore and Hong Kong. The Dutchman took part in the opening part of training in front of the fans before sitting out of the much more physical section, standing on the sidelines with the physios. This could merely be precautionary, but Arteta clearly is unwilling to risk both White and Timber in training right now. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL NEVER EZE Eberechi Eze will NOT play for Crystal Palace tonight in Conference League clash Last season when both were out, midfielder Thomas Partey filled in, who left the club on a free this summer. Should the same be the case for Leeds, we could see another experiment. Perhaps centre back Jakub Kiwior will fill in? Could the left-footed Riccardo Calafiori switch from left-back? DOWMAN THE SUPERSTAR 7 Max Dowman already has Arsenal fans scrambling for his signature Credit: Getty You would be hard-pressed to find a 15-year-old who has already nailed down his signature, but Max Dowman has – another sign of his meteoric rise before even making his competitive debut. The Hale End star was involved in Wednesday's open training session and afterwards went over to the fans in the stands with a pen at the ready to sign shirts and take selfies. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK SunSport saw between 40 and 50 fans scrambling over each other to meet their new hero – someone who has not taken his GCSEs or even started to learn to drive, let alone only making his senior debut in pre-season last month. In Singapore and Hong Kong, his name was constantly met with a chorus of cheers, sometimes even louder than the ones for new signing Viktor Gyokeres. Mo Salah's reaction to Declan Rice talking about Arsenal's failure goes viral at PFA Awards But that debut was impressive, and despite the club's determination to try and keep the spotlight off their promising young talent, Arteta cannot help but speak highly of him whenever he gets the chance in front of the media. As such, it was a surprise to not see Dowman in the squad at Manchester United last weekend, but was still at Old Trafford watching on. The main message for Arsenal fans here is: don't panic. Dowman will be making his Premier League debut sooner rather than later, but the main factor for his admission against United is that Arteta still needs to clear the squad and ship out some deadwood, such as the likes of Oleksandr Zinchenko, Fabio Vieira and maybe even Kiwior. Once that happens when the window closes on September 1, Dowman will more than likely be given his debut, seeing as a loan move away is not being considered. But when that happens, do not be surprised if he disappears for a while. That is exactly what Arteta did with Ethan Nwaneri, who was made to wait over 500 days for his second Prem appearance. Agonisingly, Dowman will be over 100 days short of beating Nwaneri's Premier League debut record which he set back in September 2022 at Brentford aged 15 years and 115 days. Dec and the gang 7 Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba and Declan Rice were all present at the PFA awards on Monday Credit: Splash THE trio of Declan Rice, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes were 10 of the 11 Premier League players who were on stage at Manchester Opera House on Monday to pick up their accolades for being part of the PFA Team of the Year. Newcastle's Alexander Isak, unsurprisingly, decided to stay away due to his transfer row. But one other member of the Arsenal party who travelled north was manager Arteta, who wanted to be there to support his players. Tick tock scrooges 7 Arsenal bosses will be keeping an eye on those who do not turn up to games Credit: Getty ARSENAL are once again keeping a close eye on season ticket holders who do not turn up for matches. The sight of empty seats at the Emirates, even when a game is sold out, has always annoyed both the club and supporters, but this situation has improved recently. For this season, starting with Leeds on Saturday, season ticket holders must use their seat for at least 20 out of the 23 matches included in their season ticket to be eligible for renewal. Supporters who opt for the 19-match season ticket must utilise their seat for at least 17 out of 19 games, otherwise they will be kicked out. Keep on Win-ning 7 The Arteta household had Win during the summer break Credit: Getty THE club's lucky mascot, a labrador called Win, continues to roam the training ground at London Colney. During the summer break, she had a short break at the Arteta household where she remains extremely popular. Pint set match 7 Old Trafford was a far cheaper day for pints than what Gunners fans will have at the Emirates Credit: Reuters ARSENAL fans had plenty to celebrate at Old Trafford on Sunday. And apart from a 1-0 win, they were able to have a few beers without busting the bank. Although Manchester United have increased the prices from last season, a beer this season costs £4.95 at Old Trafford. This is in contrast to the £7.20 at the Emirates last term.
Scottish Sun
15 hours ago
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Glum Alexander Isak spotted training alone at Newcastle in club's kit as explosive transfer row rumbles on
SAK TO IT Glum Alexander Isak spotted training alone at Newcastle in club's kit as explosive transfer row rumbles on ALEXANDER ISAK looked crestfallen as he was back in Newcastle training in club colours just hours after the star's relationship with Toon turned nuclear. The on-strike Swede, hellbent on signing for Liverpool, finally went public with his desire to leave in a bombshell statement on Tuesday. 4 Alexander Isak trained by himself after his Newcastle relationship turned nuclear 4 The striker cast an awkward figure after his bombshell transfer statement Advertisement 4 Isak trained alongside an academy coach 4 He had no interaction with any senior staff or teammates Last season's 27-goal top scorer, who skipped the PFA Awards in Manchester, claimed the club had broken promises and that it would be 'better that he left'. Newcastle hit back with their own bold statement and stated that 'no commitment has ever been made' that the 25-year-old could leave. Advertisement And tensions remained high as Isak awkwardly arrived at Newcastle's Darsley Park HQ yesterday before the dust had settled on their public row. The £150m-rated star, who is due to be fined over his refusal to play at Aston Villa, has been training by alone in order to keep his fitness up throughout the stand-off. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL SPURRED ON Spurs 'decide to make club record bid for new target after Eze deal hijacked' Isak cut a frustrated figure and was training away from all senior staff on Wednesday, with sources at NUFC Blog revealing that an academy coach was drafted in to do an afternoon session with the striker. Sun Sport understands that the Magpies continue to provide him with all the necessary tools to train, as they are contracted to do, with no specific coach assigned to him. Advertisement A member of staff, carrying a bag of balls, was snapped working with the hotshot, who looked glum while decked out in Newcastle's training gear out on the grass. The NUFC blog source said: "Isak was doing little more than light jogging and passing off a rebound board before finishing into an empty net. To be honest it was all a bit sad." BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS It is understood boss Eddie Howe left the training complex five minutes after Isak arrived by the side entrance and there was no communication between the pair. And it looks extremely unlikely that the matter will get resolved before Newcastle host Liverpool on Monday, even though his employers are seemingly ready to forgive and forget. Advertisement 'That bothers me' - Jamie Carragher tells Liverpool NOT to sign £150million Alexander Isak from Newcastle Newcastle's statement, and boss Howe, have continued to stress how they want Isak back in action as quickly as possible for them. Their statement read: 'Alex remains part of our family and will be welcomed back when he is ready to rejoin his team-mates.' However, Isak's teammate Joelinton liked a social media post from a fan group criticising the Swede, while Bruno Guimaraes uploaded a photo of himself proudly posing in Toon's black-and-white jersey. The mega fall-out unfolded amid Isak's wish to join Premier League rivals Liverpool, who had a £110m bid flat out rejected by the Magpies. Sun Sport has exclusively revealed that the Reds are set to return with a new and improved bid - which will be a new British-record £130m - in order to try and end the saga. Advertisement But Newcastle have made it clear that they will continue to snub all attempts from Anfield. Isak's swipe stems from what was believed to be a promise of a pay rise made by the club's former co-owners Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi failing to materialise. One of the first decisions from the now ex-sporting director Paul Mitchell upon his arrival last summer was to postpone contract negotiations due to Isak's £130,000-a-week deal still having four years to run. But, despite Mitchell's exit and Newcastle's willingness to smash their £150,000-a-week pay ceiling to make him the best-paid player in their history, the player's relationship with the club appears completely broken. Isak to Liverpool transfer saga timeline JANUARY: First links to Liverpool emerge FEBRUARY: £150million record fee mooted MARCH: Isak denies Newcastle contract talk APRIL: Eddie Howe hails Isak as 'very professional.' MAY: Howe insists Isak will not be sold Howe insists Isak will not be sold Last match in Newcastle shirt JUNE: Transfer links to Liverpool heat up JULY: Flies with Newcastle for Austria training camp Flies with Newcastle for Austria training camp Left out of Celtic friendly Liverpool hijack Toon's Hugo Ekitike deal after making Isak enquiry Doesn't travel for pre-season tour of Singapore and South Korea, citing injury AUGUST: Training by himself at Newcastle Training by himself at Newcastle Liverpool have £110m bid rejected Isak stops training and goes on strike Moves out of his apartment Releases angry statement blasting 'trust has been lost' Newcastle respond by insisting he won't be sold unless it benefits club And their response to Isak's social media post DENIED anything ever being promised to the £63m signing from Real Sociedad in 2022 as they continue to insist he will not be allowed to go until a replacement is signed and that the conditions for Isak to leave were not met. Advertisement Wayne Rooney declared that if he was a Toon star, he would not want Isak back in the team. He said on The Wayne Rooney Show: 'If I'm a Newcastle player, I don't want him back. 'Players leave football clubs and that happens all the time, but there's a way to go about it and you can't go on strike. 'He's deserted you and he doesn't want to be there. He doesn't want to be your teammate. 'Newcastle are not happy with Isak's behaviour because Liverpool want to sign him, but then on the flipside Newcastle are trying to sign Yoane Wissa who's behaving in the exact same way. Advertisement 'I remember Anthony Gordon not playing for Everton because he wanted to go to Newcastle, so you can't have it both ways.' Newcastle, who want to bring in TWO strikers before the window shuts to help fill the void left by Callum Wilson, have been been rejected by the likes of Benjamin Sesko, Hugo Ekitike and Bryan Mbeumo already as their options dwindle. And both they and Isak suffered a further blow when Brentford turned down a new-and-improved offer worth £40m for Yoane Wissa on Wednesday. Shearer's thoughts on Isak saga Alan Shearer told The Rest Is Football podcast: 'Isak's got three years left. You can't not train or play. You're being paid by the football club. 'Whatever reason, whatever hump you've got, you still have a duty to the other players because of that contract, and to the football club, to go and train and go and play. 'There's a way of getting out of a football club, and refusing to train and play is not the right way.' When asked by Gary Lineker if Isak's situation mirrored that of Alexander-Arnold in his final months at Anfield, Shearer replied: 'You can't compare them at all. 'Trent came to the end of his contract, he didn't refuse to play, he didn't refuse to train. 'And then was well within his rights to leave. Isak's got three years left on his contract. It doesn't take a genius to work that out. 'I sat down with him five, six months ago and I didn't see this in him. I thought he was a manager's dream, the way he spoke.' 'So obviously something has massively upset him and we don't know that. But those two circumstances, Trent and Isak, are totally different.' Brentford's wantaway DR Congo ace is still their No1 priority as the 28-year-old tries to force his own exit from the Bees. He held talks with the West London club's owner Matthew Benham on Tuesday and has also removed all association with Brentford from his Instagram account as his own relationship turns toxic. Advertisement The star, who scored 19 Prem goals last term, wants to join Newcastle and has become furious that they continue to refuse and sanction his exit. Meanwhile, as Sun Sport reported this week, Wolves' Norwegian international Jorgen Strand Larsen is another target for Toon boss Eddie Howe. Unlike Wissa, he is not pushing to leave Wolves and won't be agitating for an exit. Newcastle are yet to firm up their interest with a formal bid or even an official approach to open negotiations with the Molineux outfit. However, discussions have taken place between intermediaries where it has been made known that Strand Larsen is open to the move. Advertisement The 6ft 4in forward is an attractive option and is already proven in the Premier League after scoring 14 goals in 35 top-flight matches last term while on loan from Celta Vigo. That form led to Wolves paying £23m to turn that into a permanent transfer having initially paid £2.5m for a loan fee. And Vítor Pereira's side would want to make a significant profit on that in order to convince them to sell.
Qatar Tribune
a day ago
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
Saliba wants step up from Arsenal in pursuit of overdue league title
PA Media/dpa London William Saliba has vowed to give everything to ensure fourth time's a charm as perennial runners-up Arsenal attempt to finally get their hands on the Premier League trophy. Mikel Arteta has transformed the Gunners into regular title contenders in recent years, but they have been unable to turn their improvements into silverware. Arsenal have finished second for the past three seasons, finishing just shy of champions Manchester City in 2022-23 and 2023-24 before ending up 10 points behind last season's winners Liverpool. The near misses have made standout centre-back Saliba all the more determined to help the club win a first Premier League since the 2003-04 Invincibles, and a first major trophy since the 2020 FA Cup. 'Of course we've finished second for three years in a row, and we know that we always miss something,' the Arsenal defender told the PA news agency. 'Now it's a new season, we have to see what we didn't do well enough to win the league. 'We won the first game and of course we want to win the league, and we will give everything. We have to try to be even better than the last three seasons to win this league. 'We know that the new players who came to help us, and I'm sure that they will help us to win some trophies. Of course we are already better with them. Let's see.' Saliba was speaking at the PFA Awards in Manchester, where on Sunday he helped Arsenal claim three points from their opening trip to Ruben Amorim's United. Riccardo Calafiori's header after Altay Bayindir flapped at a corner under pressure from Saliba secured a 1-0 win against the run of play at Old Trafford. 'We want to score in any context - set pieces, counter-attack, everything,' the France international said.
South Wales Guardian
a day ago
- Sport
- South Wales Guardian
William Saliba demands step up from Arsenal in pursuit of overdue league title
Mikel Arteta has transformed the Gunners into regular title contenders in recent years, but they have been unable to turn their improvements into silverware. Arsenal have finished second for the past three seasons, finishing just shy of champions Manchester City in 2022-23 and 2023-24 before ending up 10 points behind last season's winners Liverpool. The near misses have made standout centre-back Saliba all the more determined to help the club win a first Premier League since the 2003-04 Invincibles, and a first major trophy since the 2020 FA Cup. A post shared by William Saliba (@ 'Of course we've finished second for three years in a row, and we know that we always miss something,' the Arsenal defender told the PA news agency. 'Now it's a new season, we have to see what we didn't do well enough to win the league. 'We won the first game and of course we want to win the league, and we will give everything. We have to try to be even better than the last three seasons to win this league. 'We know that the new players who came to help us, and I'm sure that they will help us to win some trophies. Of course we are already better with them. Let's see.' Saliba was speaking at the PFA Awards in Manchester, where on Sunday he helped Arsenal claim three points from their opening trip to Ruben Amorim's United. Riccardo Calafiori's header after Altay Bayindir flapped at a corner under pressure from Saliba secured a 1-0 win against the run of play at Old Trafford. 'We want to score in any context – set pieces, counter-attack, everything,' the France international said. A post shared by Arsenal (@arsenal) 'We have to give everything and we know that we can win every time. 'Of course we knew that we didn't play our best football, but at the end we knew that it was the first game at Old Trafford with some new signings from them. 'We knew that they will be good, and they were good. They caused us a lot of problems but, at the end, we are happy to win this game and to keep a clean sheet.' Saliba spoke having been named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year for the third straight season – 'a pleasure' he again got to share with Arsenal team-mates Declan Rice and Gabriel Magalhaes. The 24-year-old has struck up a fantastic defensive partnership with the latter during their time at the Emirates Stadium, but collective success rather than individual glory is the focus. 'I'm so happy to play every game with him,' Saliba said. 'He's been injured the last few months, now he's back at his best. He was so good against Manchester again. 'We just miss trophies. We play good, we are good, but we miss trophies, and we have to win trophies with Arsenal to be even better.'
