Arsenal's injury list: When will Thomas Partey, Emile Smith Rowe and Mohamed Elneny return to boost Mikel Arteta?

 T. Partey

E. Smith Rowe

Mohamed Elneny

Arsenal are currently without some key players due to injury, but at least one could soon return to action.

After a relatively quiet start to the season in the medical room, Arsenal have run into some injury problems in recent weeks - especially when it comes to the midfield.

First it was Thomas Partey who was sidelined, and then Mohamed Elneny followed suit - leaving Mikel Arteta short in terms of his options in the middle of the park.

Fans were hoping to see some new additions in the days leading up to the transfer deadline to strengthen Arteta’s hand, but ultimately the Gunners opted against pushing the boat out, with Aston Villa standing firm amid interest in Douglas Luiz.

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So what’s the latest when it comes to the Arsenal treatment room? Below, we take a look.

Thomas Partey Arsenal

What's the latest with Partey?

The Arsenal midfielder last featured in the 3-0 win at Bournemouth on August 20.

Shortly after that game it emerged he had suffered a thigh problem, similar to the issue that kept him out of the final six weeks of the 2021-22 season.

Arsenal were confident, however, that this injury was not too serious and GOAL has now learned that the Ghana international has returned to full training.

Partey actually returned to training before the scheduled meeting with Everton on September 11, but the game was postponed as a mark of respect following the death of Her Majesty the Queen.

But that extra bit of time has allowed the 29-year-old to get even more training under his belt ahead of his highly anticipated return.

Expected return date: Partey should be available to face Brentford on Sunday, providing he suffers no setback in the build-up to the game. Mikel Arteta will make a final decision on the midfielder at the end of the week.

What about Mohamed Elneny?

Elneny injured his hamstring in the win against Fulham on August 27.

The Egypt international completed the game, but the extent of the problem became clear soon after.

“With Mo, we’re talking months,” Arteta said, when offering an update on Elneny’s recovery timetable on September 2.

Expected return date: It’s currently unclear how long Elneny will be sidelined, but early suggestions are that he might not be available until January at the earliest.

Emile Smith Rowe Arsenal

What happened to Emile Smith Rowe?

The exact nature of Smith Rowe’s problem is currently unclear.

Having come on for the final stages of Arsenal’s game at Manchester United on September 4, the playmaker stayed out on the pitch after the final whistle to go through the usual warm down routine with all of the other substitutes.

But he was seen to pull up during that warm down and looked visibly upset as he trudged off the pitch while in conversation with a member of the Arsenal coaching staff.

Speaking about Smith Rowe on September 7, Mikel Arteta said: "He felt discomfort in an area that [he’s been dealing with] now for a few weeks. He wasn’t comfortable after the game and he hasn’t trained in the last few days, so he’s out of the squad."

Expected return date: This remains unclear, but the Smith Rowe is a major doubt for Arsenal's trip to Brentford on September 18.

Cedric Soares Arsenal

Where is Cedric Soares?

The Portugal international was expected to get his first start of the season in Arsenal's Europa League clash against FC Zurich on September 8.

But he picked up an injury in training ahead of the game and was forced to stay in England while the rest of the squad flew out to Switzerland.

Expected return date: Sources close to Soares believe he will be sidelined for up to two weeks, so it's likely that his first game back could be the north London derby on October 1.

Reiss Nelson Arsenal

Any update on Nelson?

Nelson was an unused substitute in Arsenal’s season opener at Crystal Palace, but has been absent ever since.

“He felt something in training,” Mikel Arteta said ahead of the match against Leicester on August 13. “We scanned it, and the doctor came with some bad news. 

“It’s a muscular injury. Hopefully, he will be back soon.”

Nelson has yet to return to training, however, and is continuing his recovery with the medical staff away from the Arsenal squad:

Expected return date: Although there is no exact timescale on Nelson’s return, it is not e

xpected that he will return before the Tottenham game on October 1.