When will Emile Smith Rowe make his Arsenal return?

Emile Smith Rowe’s role in Mikel Arteta’s exciting Arsenal rebuild shouldn’t go unnoticed. The young midfielder’s introduction into the Spaniard’s starting XI arguably saved the manager’s job in late 2020, and Smith Rowe has continued to blossom since.

The Hale End graduate went from strength to strength last season, scoring ten times in the Premier League and earning his first England cap. He’s poised to be a cornerstone of Arteta’s project, but his 2022/23 campaign has been compromised due to injury thus far.

Smith Rowe has had issues since the start of pre-season and he’s only been able to muster 47 minutes of competitive action this term.

Nevertheless, the 22-year-old is edging closer to his return after going groin surgery in the autumn.

How long has Smith Rowe been out?

Smith Rowe has been out of action since September after he pulled up in the warm-down following the 3-1 defeat to Manchester United.

The club revealed a couple of weeks later on 29 September that the player had undergone surgery to fix a nagging groin injury that had been bothering him for some time.

He was ruled out until the end of 2022 and is yet to make his comeback despite returning to training.

When could Smith Rowe make his return?

There are differing reports regarding when Smith Rowe could return to Arteta’s matchday squad.

Football.london’s Kaya Kaynak wrote before the draw with Newcastle that it’ll be a couple of weeks before the midfielder returns to full training, let alone earn competitive minutes. However, The Athletic (via @afcstuff) more recently reported that Smith Rowe is expected to start on Monday night as Arsenal travel to Oxford United in the FA Cup third round.

What has Mikel Arteta said?

The boss has not given any specifics regarding Smith Rowe’s potential comeback. While the midfielder’s return would be a timely one, the club are not going to rush him back.

Nevertheless, Arteta’s latest update was a positive one: “He’s made big steps in the last week. He took part in some training sessions and looked good. We’re hoping to have him back soon.”

Conflicting reports and Arteta’s ambiguity means it’s tough to predict when we’ll see ESR in an Arsenal shirt again. Nevertheless, the signs are certainly positive and there’s reason to believe he’ll be back within the next couple of weeks.