Viktor Gyökeres a weekend doubt - Arsenal’s NLD build-up stutters

Viktor Gyökeres is now considered doubtful for the weekend, a blow to Arsenal’s hopes of sharpening their attack before the North London Derby. Fan chatter points to a possible knock and the Swedish schedule as reasons for silence. Concerns also swirl around Gabriel, Ødegaard, and the overall forward options, with some hoping Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, and others will be available. As a retired pro, I’ve seen this pattern: when a club goes quiet late in the week, it usually means minutes will be rationed or a full no-show. For Spurs, this is the window they wanted.

The update lands in the final stretch of preparation for the North London Derby, with Sweden set to play and clubs guarding fitness news. The mood around Arsenal is jittery after a draining run and thin margins in recent games. Training-ground whispers about multiple knocks have grown louder, while selection plans depend on late medical checks.

Viktor Gyökeres remains a doubt for the weekend.

@HandofArsenal

Impact Analysis

Speaking as someone who has lived the week before a derby, a late fitness doubt for a focal forward tilts the whole plan. Gyökeres is a penalty-box specialist who thrives on early crosses and cutbacks. His 2023-24 season at Sporting CP, where he piled up 40-plus goal contributions, tells you the profile Arsenal want when the game turns chaotic. Take that profile out, and your wide men hesitate to whip first-time balls because there’s no guaranteed runner across the near post. That half-second kills momentum.

If he’s genuinely a doubt, Arsenal’s structure shifts. Havertz can stitch play and crash the box, but it’s not the same persistent pin on the last line. Gabriel Jesus drifts to combine and defend from the front, which actually helps Spurs build if their center backs step through. Without a true No. 9 presence, Tottenham’s fullbacks will squeeze higher, and you’ll see their midfield win second balls around the halfway line.

I’ve seen this movie: clubs keep the door ajar until the final scan, then roll out the familiar line about “not risking him.” Reading the cadence here, I’d expect him to be short for the NLD and, if there’s a European night looming, managed minutes off the bench at best. From a Spurs angle, this is exactly the crack you attack. Press Arsenal’s outlets, bait their center backs, and force them to play to feet instead of space. If Gyökeres sits, Tottenham gain 10-15 yards of territory from the opening whistle.

Reaction

The fanbase split is obvious. One group calls it mind games, convinced any positive update would be parked until Sweden finish their match. Another is openly frustrated: they were told he was targeting the NLD, so why the backtrack now? A few try to shrug it off with the classic “it’s just Spurs,” but the nervous replies arrive fast.

There’s also confusion in the threads. Someone floats Merino up front, which underlines how scrambled the options feel when a proper finisher goes missing. Others ask about Kai, Jesus, Madueke, Martinelli, and Ødegaard, tossing names like darts and hoping two or three land. One comment nails the emotional core: without a relentless runner, late-game control slips. They even cite a conceded equalizer against Southampton as the sort of moment a strong No. 9 prevents.

From my playing days, I recognize the tone. When supporters start listing five potential returns in one breath, it usually means trust in the current setup is thin. The optimistic takes hang on the hope of a deep bench. The realistic ones accept that if Gyökeres is out, the attack loses its chaos factor and Spurs’ backline can hold a higher line.

Social reactions

Mikel Merino masterclass loading… 😤

Crypto Arsenal (@dawhiizz)

He will be available for spurs

Jeff (@jefff256)

This is not what we wanted, but let’s be at our best and we easily beat them. This is north London derby and all players need to bring their A game

afcdacuba (@afcdacuba)

Prediction

If he misses the weekend, expect Arsenal to lean on Havertz as a connector, with Martinelli attacking the half-space if fit, and Ødegaard trying to drag the block with wall passes. That works against mid-table sides. Against Spurs, who will sprint into turnovers, it’s risky. Ange’s team loves the first pass into the channel behind fullbacks. Without a striker pinning them, Tottenham’s center backs will step into midfield and break rhythm.

Scenario A: Gyökeres sits. Arsenal control possession but lack punch, overhit cutbacks, and see xG come from hopeful headers. Spurs nick field position and create the two best chances. Scenario B: he makes the bench. He gets 20 minutes, chases, smashes bodies, and forces a late scramble. Still not peak output, but enough to change the tempo. Scenario C: full green light. Unlikely this close to the weekend. Clubs don’t hide clean scans.

Looking ahead, if there’s a Bayern tie around the corner, the medical team will push for caution. The derby matters, but a half-fit striker in Europe is a bigger swing. My call: limited or no minutes in the NLD, calibrated build-up next week, and targeted peak fitness for the continental fixture.

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Conclusion

When the noise builds like this, it’s rarely empty. I’ve been in those rooms. Coaches want certainty, strikers want rhythm, physios want time. If Gyökeres is still tagged a doubt this late, Arsenal will rehearse alternatives and keep the final decision under wraps until matchday. That’s not panic, it’s standard practice, but it hands Spurs a psychological tailwind.

Strip it back. Arsenal with a true box bully are a different animal. Without that, their wide play looks pretty but less poisonous. Tottenham will sense it and play on the front foot. If he does feature, it’ll be controlled and calculated. If he doesn’t, expect the narrative to shift to load management ahead of Europe.

The derby often comes down to who wins the tiny spaces. A fit Gyökeres owns those. A doubtful one tilts them to Tottenham. Until there’s a clean bill of health, advantage Spurs.