Arsenal head to Crystal Palace as Premier League champions after [Manchester City] drew 1-1 with Bournemouth on Tuesday, but the more revealing part of the preview is the team news. David Raya is only a minor doubt after reporting a back issue, Jurrien Timber and Ben White are out, and the final league trip of the season is already pulling the conversation towards who stays and who does not.

Raya is the manageable part of the update

Raya described his problems as a “dead back, dead glute and dead shoulder”, which is uncomfortable but not the sort of language that usually points to a long lay-off. The numbers back up why Arsenal are treating it cautiously, not catastrophically. He has started 37 Premier League games and played 13 Champions League matches this season.

Timber is the clearer absence. Ronald Koeman said his chances do not look rosy, and the brief says he has been out since before the March international break with a severe groin injury, with a possible return against Paris Saint-Germain on May 30. White is also done for the season after a serious MCL injury against West Ham United earlier this month. There are no Arsenal players banned for the Palace match.

The Palace trip is the last look at several squad questions

The bigger issue is the way the final league game has become a loose audit of the squad. Gabriel Jesus has managed only 13 Premier League appearances, which is why contract pressure is creeping into the conversation even though his deal runs to 2027. Leandro Trossard is in a similar frame, with the brief saying his contract is up in 2027 and that Palace may be the last time fans see him in the English top flight.

Myles Lewis-Skelly is part of that same discussion for a different reason. He has 19 Premier League appearances, but only four league starts. Gabriel Martinelli has played 29 times in the league, so he is hardly a fringe name, yet he is still being linked with the Saudi Pro League, PSG and Bayern Munich. Arsenal will reach 85 points if they beat Crystal Palace, but the sharper story is not the total. It is the way this last run-out is already feeding the summer debate around the squad.

FAQ

Why is Arsenal injury news being treated as a summer squad audit?

Because the Crystal Palace trip is not just about David Raya’s minor doubt, Jurrien Timber’s injury or Ben White being out. The preview also circles Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Gabriel Martinelli, with Arsenal’s final league game doubling as a look at who fits the squad going forward.

Will David Raya miss Arsenal’s match against Crystal Palace?

Raya is only described as a minor doubt after reporting a back issue. He has also played 37 Premier League games and 13 Champions League matches this season, so the update points to a precaution rather than a major absence.

Is Jurrien Timber available for Arsenal against Crystal Palace?

No. Timber has been out since before the March international break with a severe groin injury, and the brief says he is scheduled for a possible return against Paris Saint-Germain on May 30. Ronald Koeman also said the chances do not look rosy.

Are Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard definitely leaving Arsenal this summer?

No. The brief only says the Palace match may be the last time fans see Trossard in the English top flight, while Jesus is under contract until 2027. Both are part of the wider speculation, but there is no confirmed move.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 8 outlets. How we work →