December 18, (THEWILL) –Â Albert Sambi Lokonga, the midfielder Arsenal signed from Anderlecht over the summer, will miss Saturday’s match against Leeds United after testing positive for COVID-19.
With manager Mikel Arteta aiming to rotate his side as they prepare for the rigorous winter calendar, the 22-year-old was thought to be in contention for some play minutes.
Unfortunately, Lokonga has been ruled out of Saturday’s game due to a positive COVID-19 test, with Arsenal stating that Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka will fulfill their responsibilities at the base of the midfield.
The Gunners were able to keep the test result under wraps because Lokonga’s absence was not mentioned in Arsenal’s pre-match build-up, with only injuries to Bernd Leno (groin) and Sead Kolasinac (ankle) marking both as unavailable.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the team’s striker, is also absent, having been told to train alone until the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) next month.
There are no changes to Arteta’s starting lineup from the win over West Ham in midweek. Takehiro Tomiyasu, Gabriel, Benjamin White, and Kieran Tierney are all ahead of Aaron Ramsdale in goal.
In midfield, Bukayo Saka joins Partey and Xhaka, while Gabriel Martinelli is expected to start on the wing, but he will likely rotate with Martin Odegaard, who played opposite Alexandre Lacazette against West Ham.
With so many other games postponed, Arsenal’s fourth-place finish is safe for the time being, and a win today would put Arteta’s side four points clear of West Ham.
The Gunners have won their last two games and will be favourites to win on Saturday against a Leeds side that is without what feels like the bulk of their first team players due to various injuries.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
