Mixed Arsenal injury news for Arsenal women before Manchester City trip | OneFootball

Arsenal have received one encouraging fitness update before their trip to Manchester City, although Chloe Kelly remains unavailable with no return date set.

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Arsenal should welcome Steph Catley back into the squad for this weekend’s trip to Manchester City, but Chloe Kelly remains unavailable with a hamstring issue and there is still no timetable for her return.

Catley missed the 2-2 draw with Paris FC because of a back problem, while Kelly continues to struggle with the hamstring issue that has also come during a spell in which she was left out of the latest England squad due to her form.

Arsenal travel to Manchester knowing the stakes are already as high as they can be.

Defeat would leave them 10 points behind City after only five matches, making the gap at the top almost impossible to recover.

A win, however, would cut the gap to just four points.

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The Gunners will also be without Katie Reid and Michelle Agyemang, who are continuing their recoveries from ACL injuries, while Elisa de Almeida (muscular) and Daphne van Domselaar (knee) have also been ruled out.

Speaking before the game, Renée Slegers gave an update on both Kelly and Catley.

“Chloe Kelly won’t be in the squad,” Slegers said. “Steph Catley was on the pitch today. I’ve just come in from the pitch. So we’ll get the handover, but she did what she was planned to do today. So that’s positive.”

Asked why Kelly was still out, Slegers said: “She’s been managing an issue with her hamstring and didn’t consider herself to be in a good enough place physically to perform for the team, so we’re assessing, investigating and making sure that she feels 100% again.”

There is still no indication of when Kelly will return. Asked whether there was a timeline, Slegers gave a blunt “no”.

That leaves Arsenal preparing for one of their biggest league games of the season with several players unavailable, although Catley’s progress at least offers one positive before the squad travels north.

Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images