With 11 Arsenal players withdrawing from international duty this month, are the Gunners facing an injury crisis, or is caution being shown with so much at stake this season?
Across the 20 Premier League sides, 228 players were called up for their international sides. Twenty-three of those have since dropped out, and almost half are Arsenal players.
Following the Carabao Cup final defeat by Manchester City earlier this month, defender William Saliba confirmed he would not be joining up with France because of an ankle injury.
His centre-back partner, Gabriel, then withdrew from the Brazil squad with a knee problem.
They were later joined by England forward Eberechi Eze (calf), Norway midfielder Martin Odegaard (knee), and Netherlands defender Jurrien Timber (groin) – who all missed the cup final defeat at Wembley through injury – as well as Belgium forward Leandro Trossard (hip).
After players joined up with their respective countries, five more from Arsenal have withdrawn – England trio Declan Rice (knock), Bukayo Saka (knock) and Noni Madueke (injured his knee against Uruguay) as well as Spain’s Martin Zubimendi (knee) and Ecuador’s Piero Hincapie (undisclosed).
So does this mean Arsenal are in the midst of an injury crisis, or are they being clever by showing caution with their players’ fitness?
‘No reason’ not to believe Rice and Saka – Tuchel
The withdrawals have coincided with Arsenal‘s challenge on three fronts for silverware this season, including their attempt to win a first Premier League title in 22 years.
The Gunners are nine points clear of second-placed Manchester City in the Premier League with seven games remaining, although Pep Guardiola’s side has one game in hand.
Arsenal also travel to Portugal’s Sporting in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals, three days after visiting Southampton in the last eight of the FA Cup on 4 April.
England manager Thomas Tuchel said he “understood” the possible suspicion around Arsenal‘s withdrawals, but on Rice and Saka he insisted he had “no reason to believe” they had not been honest with him and his medical staff.
The German added both “wanted desperately” to play in Tuesday’s friendly against Japan, but the risk of making their issues worse was deemed “way too big” after a medical assessment by the national team.
Tuchel said, “I understand the look of it. I still have 100% trust in the honesty of Bukayo and Declan. We did medical tests. I saw them.
“Declan was even out on the pitch. He did not come and say, ‘Guys, I’m going home’.”
Mikel Arteta’s side have been hit by injuries amid international breaks previously this season, with captain Odegaard as well as Gabriel, Timber, and Italy’s Riccardo Calafiori suffering problems.
‘International friendlies a waste of time’
FIFA rules state that players must report for international duty if called up.
National teams can request their own medical checks on players to confirm injury withdrawals, and agreements can be reached with national teams regarding players who are carrying minor injuries.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery said he accepted that midfielder Youri Tielemans, who only played 23 minutes on his return from a two-month lay-off before being called up for Belgium in this international break, would want to go away with his national side.
“The national team is very important,” he said. “His commitment to us is huge, but I wanted to give him the opportunity to go now with his national team. For him, it’s very important.”
However, not all managers feel that way. Sir Alex Ferguson, the legendary former Manchester United manager, once described international friendlies as “a waste of time”, external.
His former midfielder, Nicky Butt, has said that on at least one occasion, he was prevented from joining the England team by his manager.
“He never once said to me to fake an injury. He’d just say, ‘You’ve got an England friendly coming up, and you’re not going’. And that was that.”
