Kieran Tierney Injury Update

Kieran Tierney was out for six months before Arsenal’s 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace in the League Cup quarterfinals, but manager Mikel Arteta allayed concerns that the Scotland defender had sustained another injury setback. After suffering a hamstring injury during Scotland’s 1-1 tie with Switzerland at the Euro 2024 championships in June, the 27-year-old had not played since.

After going back to full training, Tierney had not been used as a substitute in Arsenal’s previous seven games. But with the teams tied at 1-1 at the Emirates Stadium, he was replaced after 69 minutes of his first Gunners game in 500 days, having been used as a winger.

When asked about it in his post-match interview, Arteta responded, “It was cramp.” At first, Arsenal’s official website implied there had been an injury. The manager went on to say of Tierney being moved up from his typical left-back position: “He’s playing to his strengths.” They provide you with a lot of information, so we need to keep learning about it.

“They tell you not sometimes with their words but with a lot of information, where they feel more comfortable and certainly there is a much better fit for him.”

According to an external report, Arsenal has opted not to pursue the option of extending Tierney’s contract until the expiration of his present one this summer, which coincided with his return to play.

His performance against Palace was his first for Arsenal since he entered the game as a substitute during their Community Shield triumph over Manchester City in August 2023 via penalty shootout.

After losing favor under Arteta, Tierney played 26 games for Real Sociedad, a Spanish team, on loan last season, helping them place sixth in La Liga.