In a recent interview, Football.London‘s Chief Arsenal reporter Chris Wheatley mentioned that Arsenal full-back Kieran Tierney could be back from injury versus Leeds United this weekend. When asked about the duration of the Scottish defender’s injury, Wheatley said, “Tierney has a leg injury (not related to the calf issue previously reported) which is down to fatigue. He’s played a lot of games, needed a rest and is hopeful of being back for Leeds.”
Tierney’s Impressive Form At North London This Season
Tierney has enjoyed a solid season with the Gunners despite their struggles to be consistent in the Premier League this season. The Douglas-born talent has participated in 23 matches for the North London giants this term scoring once and grabbing three assists in multiple competitions.
The Scotland international has influenced the game at both ends of the pitch as he is averaging 0.8 tackles, 0.8 interceptions, 2.5 clearances, o.5 shots, 1.3 key passes and 0.6 dribbles per game in the English top-flight this season. The 23-year-old has even been careful when distributing possession in the opposition half after making 80.3% of his attempted passes in league football (stats via whoscored).
Tierney has slowly turned his Arsenal career around after being hampered by injuries since joining from Celtic in the summer of 2019. He has now established himself as one of the most important players in Mikel Arteta’s squad.
What Does The Scottish Left-Back Offer On The Pitch?
Tierney has decent pace under his belt that allows him to get up and down the left flank seamlessly with or without the ball. He is slowly but surely maturing into a decent defender at the back as he has got the defensive awareness to read the danger quickly and clear his lines when needed.
The 16-time Scotland international can also whip in a few inviting crosses into the opponent’s penalty box but needs to improve his end-product in the final third. At 23, he is a player on the rise and could become a future star for the Gunners if he continues to learn from mistakes and get better on the pitch.
Tierney Could Return Vs Leeds United This Weekend: Big Boost For The Gunners?
Having Tierney back for the Leeds game will be a massive boost for Arteta as the Gunners have missed his services at left-back over the past couple of weeks. Arsenal have lost back to back matches in the Premier League and are currently nine points off fourth-placed Liverpool in the league table.
Hence, Arteta will still believe that his players can pull off a string of positive results in the coming weeks and finish this season strong in search of European football next term. A player of Tierney’s quality will undeniably give them more confidence heading into the Leeds clash as well as the cup encounters versus Benfica in the UEFA Europa League later this month.
