Arteta provides injury update on four; insists ‘incredible’ transfer business is ‘not going to stop’

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is hoping to have Takehiro Tomiyasu, Kieran Tierney, Emile Smith Rowe and Fabio Vieira available for Friday’s trip to Crystal Palace.

The Gunners will kick off the Premier League season for the second year in a row when they take on Patrick Vieira’s side at Selhurst Park.

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They got off to a horrible start last term, losing at newly promoted Brentford on the opening weekend before going on to lose 2-0 at home to Chelsea and 5-0 at Manchester City.

Arteta insists the match at Palace is “different” to the one at Brentford this time last year, noting that it was a “strange” encounter – likely referring to the late Covid absentees he had to deal with.

“It is different,” he said (quotes via Football London). “Everything that happened before Brentford was pretty strange and unique. We are really excited, looking forward to the new season and will try to start in the best way.”

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The Spanish manager also provided an update on four of his players.

It has been reported that Smith Rowe has a knock, meanwhile, Tierney and Tomiyasu both missed a lot of 2021/22 due to a number of injuries.

New signing Vieira did not appear in pre-season due to an ankle problem, but Arteta is hoping all four will be fit enough to make Friday’s squad.

“Three out of four are gonna be training this afternoon if everything goes well hopefully they are going to be in the squad.”

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