Arsenal is facing a sudden injury crisis, with Leandro Trossard becoming the fifth player to be released from national team duties. The Belgian forward will not participate in the friendlies against the United States and Mexico, which are coincidentally the same opponents as Portugal, due to a physical issue. The decision for Trossard to remain at the club during the international break was made in conjunction with the club, aiming for his recovery from a recent hip problem suffered in Mansfield. The 31-year-old was on the field for 82 minutes in Sunday's defeat against Manchester City in the English League Cup final before being substituted for Martinelli. The list of absentees does not stop there. Defender Gabriel Magalhães has also been released from the Brazilian national team, which will face France and Croatia, due to pain in his right knee, as confirmed by the CBF. Joining them are Eberechi Eze and Jurrien Timber, who were forced to leave the training camps of the England and Netherlands national teams, respectively. Harvey Barnes has been called up to replace Eze, and he will be joined by Arsenal right-back Ben White, who returns to the England squad three years later, following a call from Thomas Tuchel. Another concerning case is William Saliba, who injured his left ankle during the defeat at Wembley on Sunday. The central defender will miss France's upcoming matches against Brazil and Colombia. The French Football Federation has already announced that Maxence Lacroix from Crystal Palace will be his replacement. "William Saliba will not be able to join the French national team training camp, which starts this Monday, March 23," reads a statement. "The Arsenal central defender is suffering from recurring pain in his left ankle, which requires treatment and a minimum rest period of 10 days," meaning he should be available for the knockout match against the Lions. All these players will remain under Mikel Arteta's orders to recover their best physical form. They are joined by captain Martin Odegaard, who has been sidelined for a month due to a knee injury. The Spanish coach hopes to have most of his players back in time for the FA Cup quarter-final against Southampton on Saturday, April 4. Following that, there is a trip to Portugal to face Sporting in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, April 7.
Sporting Sudden Injury Crisis remains central to this story.
Sporting Sudden Injury Crisis remains central to this story.
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