Arsenal

Arsenal: Ben Dinnery expects Emile Smith Rowe to miss season opener

|
Image for Arsenal: Ben Dinnery expects Emile Smith Rowe to miss season opener

Injury specialist Ben Dinnery expects Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe to miss the club’s season opener due to a groin issue initially sustained in December, and suggests he could require surgery to fix it. 

After a successful pre-season for the Gunners, it will be disappointing for the fans and Smith Rowe with the news that he is likely to miss the game through an existing injury that kept him out for periods of last season as well.

Mikel Arteta had claimed that three out of four Arsenal doubts – including Smith Rowe – were in training and potentially available for selection on Friday night. However, Dinnery’s claim may suggest the player struggling the most is the 22-year-old.

According to Dinnery, the injury is from a groin problem he picked up in December last season during Arsenal’s game with Manchester United, and has claimed that due to the recurrence of the injury, he could require surgery if it is deemed problematic enough.

Speaking on the Premier FPL Injuries channel, Dinnery said: “This is a groin issue that’s dragged on since December last year. We don’t know if there’s anything underlying, but certainly, it’s something that was being managed. It was something that was flagged by Mikel Arteta on several occasions, and again, it’s sort of reared its ugly head during this pre-season programme.

“The decision to maybe manage this injury conservatively is a slight concern if it keeps on happening. Maybe he requires something, maybe surgery, to remedy something or what have you, but the long and the short of it is, Emile Smith Rowe is out of Gameweek 1.

“We expect him to re-join the group by the middle of next week, which in theory, puts them in contention for Gameweek 2, certainly to be included in that matchday squad.”

1 of 16
Aubameyang injury update at Arsenal

Where did Arsenal sign these players from, let's start with an easy one! Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

TIF Thoughts on Smith Rowe’s injury…

Even with the recruitment of Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko, Arsenal will certainly miss Smith Rowe during their opening game, as he was such an important part of the squad last term.

The 22-year-old was crucial for Arteta, picking up 11 goals and two assists in all competitions while ranking in the 96th percentile for pass completion with 85.2% and in the 93rd for non-penalty goals compared to other attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues.

It may also concern fans and the squad that his time away is due to an existing injury that has been aggravated during pre-season, and as Dinnery states, he could need surgery to fully heal, which can take up to two weeks to even just light activities and as much as six weeks for gentle exercise and walking.

In order for Arsenal to compete for a place in the Champions League this season, they will need all hands on deck and therefore will be wishing for a speedy recovery for their star man.

Will Arsenal miss ESR?

Yes

Yes

No

No

Share this article