Noteable Injuries - International Break
With the first International Break of the season taking place, there were a few notable players in the Premier League that have seen knocks that have forced them out of participating for their respective nations in the upcoming fixtures for the EURO 2024 Qualifiers.
The first of which is one of the best players in the world, Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka. Saka, since being introduced to this Arsenal squad as an academy graduate, has seen the fruits of his labors and has taken Arsenal from a pretender to a serious contender for the Premier League title this season. Bukayo first was injured in Arsenal’s Champions League bout versus Lens, in which the Gunners lost 2-1. Saka was forced to not play against Manchester City, arguably the biggest game of the season, in which Arsenal found a way to win 1-0. Look for Saka to return after the International Break.
Next is another Arsenal winger, this time Leondro Trossard, who had to withdraw from the Belgium squad due to a hamstring injury. Leondro has taken a big step in moving from Brighton in January last season to Arsenal. He has been a very serviceable backup who has seen starting time this season with injuries to other wingers for Arsenal. Leo has been a great addition to the Belgium squad, but he seems to be out for the foreseeable future. Again, look for him to be back after the International Break.
The last of the notable players to be out for a significant amount of time is Barcelona defenseman and French international, Jules Koundé. Since his arrival, Koundé has seen many opportunities all over Barça’s backline. He has been their defensive rock and has played stellar for Barcelona, as they are third in La Liga this season and have only conceded 10 goals in nine games. Jules suffered a left MCL sprain and will be out for some time. There has been no timetable for the Frenchman, but look for him to return in the coming weeks as Barcelona push for another La Liga title.
