Arsenal midfielder Eberechi Eze is expected to need at least one month on the sidelines to recover from a calf injury.
Eze picked up the injury during the Champions League victory over Bayer Leverkusen and then sat out the Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City, after which manager Mikel Arteta confirmed further scans on Eze’s calf would be needed.
According to The Athletic, the suggestions are that Eze will need between four and six weeks on the sidelines.
Eze’s calf injury is not seen as a particularly serious one, but it comes at an awful time. He was forced to withdraw from the England squad, missing out on the final audition for a spot in this summer’s World Cup squad, while it also serves as a hammer blow to Arsenal.
Four weeks on the sidelines would see Eze return at the end of April, while six weeks would carry him through until the middle of May. The Premier League season only runs until May 24.
The Games Eberechi Eze Could Miss for Arsenal
April stands to be a huge month for Arsenal, who will return from the international break searching for a response to the end of their quadruple chase.
Defeat in the Carabao Cup final threatens to serve as a huge psychological blow at this crucial time at the season, not least because it came against their challengers for the Premier League title.
An away trip to Southampton in the FA Cup quarterfinals begins Arsenal’s search for a response, with Bournemouth then on the schedule either side of the two legs of the Champions League quarterfinals against Sporting CP.
Crucially, Eze also seems destined to miss Arsenal’s shot at revenge against Man City, who host the Gunners at the Etihad on April 19 in a game which seems destined to decide the winners of the Premier League title.
The month rounds out with a visit from Newcastle United, for which Eze is unlikely to be ready even if he has returned to training.
Arsenal will then begin May at home to Fulham before a trip to West Ham United on May 9. Eze will hope to be back in action by this point, when there will be just two more games left in the domestic season.
The FA Cup final is scheduled for May 16, right at the end of Eze’s recovery timeline, but the Champions League final 14 days later should prove no problem for the Englishman if Arsenal can reach the showpiece event.
Arsenal’s Potential Upcoming Fixtures
| Date | Opponent | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| April 4 | Southampton (A) | FA Cup quarterfinals |
| April 7 | Sporting CP (A) | Champions League quarterfinal first leg |
| April 11 | Bournemouth (H) | Premier League |
| April 15 | Sporting CP (H) | Champions League quarterfinal second leg |
| April 19 | Man City (A) | Premier League |
| April 25 | Newcastle (H) | Premier League |
| April 28/29 | Barcelona or Atlético Madrid (A) | Champions League semifinal first leg |
| May 2 | Fulham (H) | Premier League |
| May 5/6 | Barcelona or Atlético Madrid (H) | Champions League semifinal second leg |
| May 9 | West Ham (A) | Premier League |
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arsenal Lose In-Form Midfielder for Premier League Title Race Finale—Report.
