Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta Confirms Eze Injury Ahead of Liverpool Match, Welcomes Tzolis’ Return
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Arsenal supporters experienced a moment of surprise when they noticed Christos Tzolis in the starting lineup for the match against Liverpool, marking his return from an injury that had kept him sidelined for weeks.
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Following the game, Mikel Arteta addressed concerns about the side’s squad depth due to a new injury problem involving left-wing alternative Eberechi Eze.
Arteta shared, “We had an issue with Ebs as well. It was incredible that he was in the squad today. I want to give credit to all the medical and performance team because what they’re doing with those boys is incredible, every three days to keep everybody at this level.” He further mentioned, “That’s why these are the margins sometimes where you win a football match and not when you have somebody available or not.”
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Eze was on the bench during the match, primarily warming up along the sidelines, with hopes high that he will regain full fitness soon.
On a positive note, Tzolis successfully completed the match without any setbacks, playing for nearly the entire 90 minutes before being substituted with just six minutes left. “With Christos, it’s incredible,” Arteta said. “He didn’t want to come off; he wanted to complete the game. We took some risks, and at that point, we decided, now is enough.”
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With both Eze and Tzolis back in the lineup, Arsenal is in a strong position on the left wing. Ceadach O’Neill also traveled with the team for the Liverpool match, and he might receive opportunities in future games as well.
Conversely, Arsenal finds itself somewhat dependent on Noni Madueke, given that Bukayo Saka is currently injured, and Max Dowman is suspended. Dowman will be available for the upcoming midweek fixture against Slavia Praha, as his suspension is limited to domestic competitions.
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