Arsenal suffer injury blow as Dubai warm weather training fails to aid recovery
Arsenal have suffered a major setback after it emerged that Oleksandr Zinchenko's involvement in their upcoming game against Crystal Palace this weekend is in doubt.
Zinchenko suffered a calf injury ahead of Arsenal's 2-1 defeat to Fulham on New Year's Eve, but the Gunners were hopeful he would be back for their FA Cup third-round match against Liverpool on January 7.
Manager Mikel Arteta said before the game that Zinchenko was "progressing well" in his recovery and that a decision would be made on his involvement after training. Ultimately, the 27-year-old did not feature in the 2-0 loss to Liverpool and instead continued his recovery in Dubai as Arsenal jetted off for a warm-weather training camp during their winter break.
However, the Evening Standard are now reporting that Zinchenko is a doubt for Saturday's game against Palace and that, although he is 'pushing hard to be back in time', Jakub Kiwior could once again deputise for him at left-back.
Jurrien Timber remains out of action with a knee injury he picked in Arsenal's first Premier League game of the season against Nottingham Forest back in August, while fellow defender Takehiro Tomiyasu is currently away at the Asian Cup with Japan.
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The report adds that midfielders Thomas Partey and Fabio Vieira are making good progress with their respective recoveries, while forward Gabriel Jesus could be set to return against Palace after missing the Liverpool game with a knee problem.
The defeat to Liverpool means Arsenal have won just one of their last seven games across all competitions and Arteta admitted their recent run of form was "frustrating". He said: "We didn’t take the chances, I haven't seen any other team in the first six months that have generated what we have done against them (Liverpool) in the last two games and we're not capitalising - not today, in the last few games - that's why we are not winning games.
Oleksandr Zinchenko is nursing a calf injury (Arsenal FC via Getty Images)How important is Oleksandr Zinchenko to Arsenal's Premier League title bid? Let us know in the comments below!
"Performance-wise, merit-wise, there is no question, but to win the game actually the results say something very different. When my team plays with that attitude, with that courage, with that desire and do what they've done to probably the best team in Europe at the moment in terms of momentum, what can I do? Stay behind them and support them.
"It is frustrating, but what can we do? I cannot tell them to play bad, don't shoot, Liverpool is going to score an own goal and we're going to win the game, I don't know how to create a gameplan like this, it's impossible.
"Stick with them; if we have 18, next time we have 35, and continuously do that, do that, do that and the ball will go into the net. We'll generate momentum, and we will win a lot of games, that's for sure."
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