Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has provided an injury update on his squad, with two key absences to face Bournemouth on Saturday.
The Gunners moved four points clear at the top of the Premier League on Thursday after Manchester City’s 0-0 draw with Sunderland.
Our tipster is backing goals at the Vitality Stadium, especially with two defenders missing for Arsenal.
Arsenal team news vs Bournemouth
Arteta confirmed that boss Riccardo Calafiori and Cristhian Mosquera will both miss out as they fail to recover from injury.
Italian left-back Calafiori pulled up in the warm-up in Arsenal’s 2-1 victory over Brighton and has missed the last two matches with a “very awkward” issue.
It means Arteta is likely to stick with the same back four that helped beat Aston Villa, with Piero Hincapie coming in at left-back to play alongside Jurrien Timber, Gabriel and William Saliba.
Mosquera is dealing with a “complicated” ankle issue and is likely to remain sidelined for at least the Liverpool game on January 8th.
Arteta will also sweat on the fitness of Declan Rice after he missed the Villa win with a knee issue.
The Spaniard raised doubts that the influential midfielder will return to face Bournemouth, having sat out of training since Tuesday.
Arteta was his usual coy self when talking about Arsenal’s injuries, and when discussing Rice, he said: “We have another session today, let’s see how he comes today and how that’s feeling, but [the Villa game] was too early for him.
“Sometimes you get a hit and, throughout the game, you are able, with adrenaline and because you are warm, able to sustain that, and then the body reacts. It reacted probably more than we expected, unfortunately, and that’s where we are.”
When addressing injuries in general, he added: “The first reaction is what can we do better? The second thing is the reality of the sport that we play. But looking back at the last three seasons, we have had fewer days of injuries than before. So, it’s how you look at it.”
Arteta looking to break unwanted Arsenal statistic
Arteta is focused on breaking an unwanted Arsenal statistic that has seen them fall short in the title race.
The Gunners have occupied top spot in five of the last 23 years, only to surrender the title due to a drop in form during the second half of the campaign.
The most recent instance occurred three seasons ago, when Arteta’s side finished five points adrift of eventual champions Manchester City.
Arteta said: “Let’s break it.
“That’s what the players transmit every single day when they’re with us, training, and in every match.
“You can see their desire. You can see the energy that they put in, and how much they want it. There are still five months to go. Let’s take it day-by-day, enjoy that process of being where we are, and go for it.”
