Arsenal star Emile Smith-Rowe ruled out for at least two months
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Arsenal star Emile Smith-Rowe out for at least two months – and may not play again until Christmas – after surgery on a groin injury… punching Mikel Arteta for the full schedule
- Arsenal confirm Emile Smith-Rowe will be out until at least December
- The 22-year-old underwent surgery this week for an existing groin problem in London
- The Gunners need a deep roster as they play nine games in October
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Emile Smith-Rowe could be sidelined until the new year after the Arsenal forward underwent surgery on his groin.
The 22-year-old has been plagued with injuries and illness for much of this year, hampering his progress and playing opportunities.
In recent months, Smith Rowe has struggled with discomfort in his groin and suffered a ‘significant setback’ during the warm-up following Arsenal’s defeat to Manchester United earlier this month.
Emile Smith-Rowe is out after surgery for a groin problem
After consulting with medical staff, he underwent ‘successful’ surgery in London in recent days to ‘repair a damaged tendon’.
He now faces a long period of rehabilitation and Arsenal hope to return to full training in December.
With the mid-season break for the Qatar World Cup, that would mean the earliest Smith Rowe could return to play on Boxing Day.
Smith-Rowe exacerbated an existing groin problem when he came on against Manchester United
Last year around this time, the striker’s good form earned him a first call-up for England.
But any nebulous hopes he had of making their World Cup roster are now gone and a few weeks ago Mikel Arteta admitted he was concerned about the 22-year-old’s ‘ongoing’ fitness problems.
“It’s very frustrating. He is a boy who likes to play football. It’s the most important thing in his life. And if he’s not able to do that, especially after the string of matches and (appearances) he had with us the year before, it’s just hard,” he said.
“When he tried to train, he didn’t feel 100 percent fit or pain-free. This is the biggest concern and we need to find a solution. Tried.’
Smith-Rowe’s groin problem has limited him to just four appearances in all competitions this season, but his absence is a major blow to Arteta.
The Gunners need a strong squad as they play nine games in the Premier League and Europa League in October.
Smith-Rowe’s absence is a blow to Mikel Arteta for a packed schedule
Arteta said Arsenal need to ‘surround’ Smith Rowe with the ‘right habits and the right people’ to help him manage football’s increasingly ‘demanding’ workload.
“We try to help him as much as possible in every way we can… we need him to perform at his best level because he is such an important player for us,” he said.
Arsenal are at the top of the Premier League and will face Tottenham in the North London derby on Saturday. Arteta’s side have 18 points from their first seven games, one ahead of champions Manchester City in second place.
