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Mikel Arteta forcefully dismissed reports suggesting Bruno Guimarães could be sidelined for up to six weeks with a new muscle complaint. "No, no, no, no, no," he said with firm conviction.
Guimarães sustained the injury during last weekend's Community Shield triumph over Manchester City after putting in a standout first half on his competitive debut. The £101 million recruit from Newcastle United wasn't healthy enough to even feature on Arsenal's bench in their Premier League curtain-raiser against Coventry City, raising concerns about a significant setback.
Some reports had suggested the absence could stretch anywhere from six to 10 weeks. Arteta strongly pushed back. "We expect that not to be weeks at all," he told reporters on Friday evening. "Let's see how he progresses this week."
What Injury Does Bruno Guimaraes Have?
As Arteta disclosed ahead of kick-off at the Emirates, Guimarães is dealing with "a slight tension in his groin."
Injuries had been largely uncommon throughout Guimarães's senior career up to this point. Over the Brazilian's first six seasons in European football, he missed just eight matches across his time at Lyon and Newcastle. Two of those absences stemmed from a COVID-19 diagnosis, while minor hamstring and ankle issues kept Guimarães out for two separate three-game stretches during 2022–23.
That remarkable fitness record was significantly disrupted by a serious hamstring injury earlier this year. Newcastle's key man missed 14 straight matches between February and April, leaving him "devastated," according to Eddie Howe.
There were internal concerns at the club that such a severe injury—so uncharacteristic given his previous track record—could trigger further muscular issues down the line, the Daily Mail reported. Those worries have quickly come to fruition. Nevertheless, Arteta didn't appear particularly alarmed.
When Will Bruno Guimaraes Return From Injury?
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Far from anticipating a prolonged absence, Arteta revealed that he and his coaching staff had actually needed to hold Guimarães back from playing on Friday for his own protection. "He wanted to keep going and that's when you begin to appreciate the character of the player," the Basque manager said with a smile. "But I don't expect that to be a big issue."
At this early point in the campaign, Arsenal have 10 days to prepare for their next Premier League match: a Monday night visit to Aston Villa's stadium. It has yet to be confirmed whether Guimarães will be available for that away fixture, but based on Arteta's suggestion of days rather than weeks, he could well be in contention.
By the same reasoning, there should be a solid chance of the high-profile summer acquisition playing some part in the London derby against Chelsea at the Emirates on Sept. 6.