Mikel Arteta provides updates on injuries sustained during the team’s 1-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in Hong Kong, including Leandro Trossard’s suspected muscle injury.
Mikel Arteta reflected on Arsenal’s final pre-season tour match, suffering a 1-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in Hong Kong.
Despite the loss, Arteta was satisfied with his team’s performance, praising their competitiveness and application. “We played a really competitive match,” he said. “We gave minutes to a lot of players, tried a few different things, and I think the performance was strong. We just lacked the final action in the final third.”
New signings Viktor Gyokeres and Cristian Mosquera made a promising impact in their debuts, with Arteta praising their quality and personality. Gyokeres worked hard and made some good runs, while Mosquera was composed in his play. “They’ve just joined us, and already you can see the quality and personality they bring,” Arteta said.
However, Leandro Trossard’s first-half exit with a suspected muscle injury raised concerns. Arteta explained that Trossard felt something in his muscle after a push when trying to turn. “We’ll scan it and see how bad it is, but hopefully it’s not too serious.” The extent of Trossard’s injury remains to be seen, and Arsenal will be monitoring the situation closely.
Arteta also addressed fitness concerns surrounding Gabriel Magalhaes, Riccardo Calafiori, and Jurrien Timber, who were absent from the match. “They’ve had some small issues, and we didn’t want to take any risks,” he said. Fortunately, all three players are expected to be fine for the start of the season and will be training with the team.
Goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga was also sidelined due to discomfort following the Newcastle United friendly. Arteta explained that Kepa could have played if it was a competitive match but didn’t want to risk him so close to the start of the season.
With the pre-season tour now over, Arsenal will focus on preparing for the upcoming season. Their first match is against Manchester United on August 17.
