Charles Watts, the Arsenal correspondent for Goal, has been discussing the current situation regarding Kieran Tierney after he missed out on playing for Scotland having been in close contact with Stuart Armstrong who tested positive for the virus.
Despite having tested negative himself, Tierney, along with Ryan Christie and two members of staff are required to self-isolate for 14 days which would rule the left-back out of Arsenal’s trip to Manchester City at the weekend.
Arsenal released a statement when the news broke and included some comments from the 23-year-old himself, who said: “I’m so disappointed and frustrated to be in this situation.
“I have adhered to all regulations and made sure I was socially distancing from my teammates in the hotel. I’ve also tested negative.
“I know Arsenal and the SFA are now in discussions with the Scottish authorities to gain a further understanding.”
When discussing the topic on a recent YouTube video, here is what Watts had to say regarding Tierney:
“Kieran Tierney – this is the sad one for Arsenal – they haven’t been able to make any breakthrough in regards of negotiations with Scotland, with the Scottish FA [or] the Scottish government in terms of getting Kieran Tierney back down to London.
“He’s still in Scotland as far as I’m aware, and still having to serve that two-week isolation.
“If that is still the case, then he’s going to miss the game against Manchester City next weekend, Arsenal are still in talks with Tierney, they’re still in talks with the FA and the powers that be to see if they can come to a satisfying conclusion [from] Arsenal’s side of things, but you’ve got to understand, [the Scottish government] can’t be seen to be looking to give preferential treatment to a star name.”
Will Kieran Tierney be a big miss for the trip to Manchester City?
Yes
No
TIF Thoughts on Charles Watts’ latest Kieran Tierney update…
Tierney’s average performance rating in the Premier League so far this season is a solid 6.76/10 (as per WhoScored) and having appeared in three of the club’s league fixtures so far, it could be argued that if absent, he would be a big miss for Mikel Arteta’s side.
In our view, given the strict measures in place aiming to prevent further spread of the virus, it seems unlikely the £25.2m-rated defender will be available for selection this coming Saturday.