Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka is expected to be fit for this Sunday’s game versus West Ham despite picking up a knock against Liverpool at the weekend.
The 22-year-old was forced off the pitch with 10 minutes to go at the Emirates but, speaking after the match, manager Mikel Arteta played down the seriousness of the issue:
“He should be fine. He got a kick on the ankle or the back of his foot, he should be fine.”
Gabriel Jesus missed the win over the Reds with a knee injury. The Brazilian international played through the pain barrier to help secure a 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest last week but he was unable to make the squad on Sunday. Arteta says that the forward could be back in training within “days” so that should mean he is available to face the Hammers at the London Stadium.
Expected Return Date – Sunday 11th February v West Ham
Oleksandr Zinchenko was forced off at half-time at the weekend due to a calf injury. Arteta was less forthcoming on how long the Ukrainian international will be out for, suggesting he may not be ready to play against the Irons.
Thomas Partey has also had another setback in his recovery from a thigh problem. The Ghanaian international has not played since having surgery in October.
Expected Return Date – Saturday 17th February v Burnley
Like Partey, Fabio Vieira has had some complications recovering from an operation. The Portuguese international went under the knife in November to fix a groin issue.
However, despite being pictured back in light training, the midfielder is still not deemed ready to make his first-team comeback.
There is optimism that Jurrien Timber will begin training later this month once he has completed his rehabilitation. However, fans need to keep in mind that recovery from an ACL injury is never straightforward so expectations need to be kept in check as to when he will make his return.
