Emile Smith Rowe left Arsenal fans concerned after missing England training on Tuesday – but it’s allegedly nothing to worry about at all.
Smith Rowe has joined Arsenal teammates Aaron Ramsdale, Ben White and Bukayo Saka in the England squad for this international break.
England take on Switzerland on Saturday and the Ivory Coast next Tuesday, with Smith Rowe chasing a third England cap.
Yet when Gareth Southgate’s squad were training on Tuesday afternoon, Smith Rowe was nowhere to be seen.
Smith Rowe joined Declan Rice and Sam Johnstone in missing training whilst Raheem Sterling wasn’t in action either.
That will have left Arsenal fans fearing the worst, no doubt worried that their prized attacking midfielder had picked up a troublesome injury.
That isn’t the case though, with Sky Sports reporter Rob Dorsett moving to allay any concerns about Smith Rowe and his teammates.
Dorsett suggested that Smith Rowe, Rice and Johnstone are just recovering from playing over the weekend.
In Sterling’s case, he has been given special permission to arrive on Wednesday having been invited to attend an event in Jamaica with the Duke of Cambridge.
“Declan Rice, Emile Smith Rowe and the goalkeeper Sam Johnstone are not training outdoors today,” said Dorsett. “No real concerns over them at this stage I understand, just that they are following their own personal recovery programmes having played at the weekend,” he added.
Smith Rowe played the full 90 minutes for Arsenal against Aston Villa on Saturday, helping the Gunners claim a 1-0 victory.
It’s not often that we have seen Smith Rowe start and play the full game for Arsenal of late; the last time it happened was against Newcastle United back in November.
That means Smith Rowe may have needed a little longer just to get himself ready for training again, with England more than happy to let him recover.
With no injury to report, there is nothing for Arsenal fans to worry about – and let’s hope it stays that way over this international break.
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