Arsenal have received a significant injury boost ahead of their Champions League opener, with Athletic Club winger Nico Williams a major doubt for the duel with the Gunners next week.
Mikel Arteta’s side return to Premier League action this weekend after the September international break, hosting Nottingham Forest—now managed by ex-Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou. The Gunners then return to the European stage on Tuesday, September 16, when they travel to Bilbao in their first league phase outing.
Arsenal, who beat Athletic Club 3–0 on home soil during pre-season, will be eager to make a winning start to their campaign, but will be fully aware of the challenges of visiting San Mamés. The Basque outfit lost just two home matches in La Liga last season and are backed by a vociferous crowd.
However, Athletic might be forced to take on Arsenal without their star winger Williams, who sustained an adductor injury during Spain’s 6–0 thrashing of Türkiye on Sunday. The 23-year-old had already assisted before being withdrawn in the 44th minute with an injury described as “moderate” by his club.
Williams was the subject of significant interest from Barcelona over the summer before signing a new lengthy contract with Athletic. He was also linked with Bayern Munich and has been touted with a move to Arsenal previously.
The Euro 2024 winner, who has already scored and assisted for Athletic this term in La Liga, will prove an enormous miss for Ernesto Valverde’s side, though Arsenal also have a number of niggling injury problems disrupting their own preparations.
Kai Havertz, Ben White, Christian Nørgaard, Bukayo Saka and William Saliba all have ailments of varying severity, though the international break may have afforded the club’s medical team enough time to get at least a couple fit.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arsenal Receive Injury Boost for Champions League Opener.