Arsenal have been warned they could be at a disadvantage as they face Leeds in the Premier League this weekend. After three long weeks of international football, the Premier League has finally reconvened, and the Gunners are back in action against Daniel Farke’s Leeds in the early kick-off on Saturday.
Merson’s Warning Over International Duty
According to Paul Merson, that could be more a curse than a blessing. The ex-Arsenal forward is concerned the Gunners could struggle to get up to speed, given 15 members of Mikel Arteta’s squad were on international duty until this week. He believes that fact will give Leeds a leg up at the Emirates, helping to close the gap between the two sides.
Speaking on Sky Sports News, Merson explained: “A lot of players go away in the international break at Arsenal. They probably came back yesterday, did a little warm-up so they literally get today and a little bit tomorrow, running through set-plays and patterns, and then they’re kicking off at 12:30pm on Saturday. So there hasn’t been a lot of time and I think it’s a bit of a leveller for Leeds, this is a little bit of an advantage for Leeds that they’re playing straight after the international break at 12:30pm.”
Leeds’ Own International and Injury Concerns
Leeds had a healthy number of players on international duty themselves, with 21 players jetting off to represent their nations, including England’s James Trafford. Farke’s squad is also hit by a number of injuries, with Dan James and Joe Rodon both set to miss the trip to north London.
Arsenal, meanwhile, are hoping to have Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa, Cristhian Mosquera, Piero Hincapie and Ben White all back in the fold. The Gunners sorely need a win, too, after they were handed a 3-0 humbling by Brighton last time out.
