Arsenal are currently in contention to win four competitions this season, sitting atop the Premier League table. And they are set to have three first-team players back from injury in the coming days.
Arsenal Boss Mikel Arteta Offers Injury Update on 3 Stars
Earlier this Thursday, Feb. 5, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, and Jurrien Timber all missed their club’s first-team training session. Saka is nursing a muscle issue in his hip area, while Odegaard is recovering from a minor injury sustained in training earlier this week.
Ahead of his side’s Premier League home encounter against Sunderland, Gunners manager Mikel Arteta was initially asked to shed light on Saka’s condition now. He replied, “His hip is getting much better. Hopefully, very soon he will be with us.”
Saka, 24, has missed the north London outfit’s last two matches across competitions due to his ongoing injury. The left-footed inverted winger has scored seven goals and laid out as many assists in 31 overall games for his side this campaign. Pressed about the Gunners captain’s injury, the Spanish tactician responded, “Martin again is getting better. It will be a matter of days, we believe.”
Odegaard, 27, was absent from his team’s 1-0 EFL Cup semi-final second leg clash against Chelsea earlier on Tuesday, Feb. 3. The attacking midfielder has scored only one goal in 25 total matches for Arteta’s outfit so far this term, providing six assists.
Lastly, Arteta was asked whether Timber will be available for selection against Sunderland, as the Dutch right-back missed training this week. The former Gunners and Everton midfielder replied affirmatively, saying, “Jurrien is fine.”
Timber, 24, played the full 90 minutes in both of Arsenal’s last two matches, a 1-0 triumph against Chelsea and a 4-0 league win at Leeds United. He has contributed three goals and five assists in 34 total appearances for the Gunners this season.
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Meanwhile, England and Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer has backed Arsenal to beat newly promoted side Sunderland at Emirates Stadium this Saturday, Feb. 7.
“I don’t think Sunderland will turn their home form into away form this weekend. At home, they’ve been amazing but going to Arsenal, with the form they’re in and how they’re playing, Arsenal will have too much for them,” Shearer wrote in his Metro column.
The Gunners, who are leading the Premier League, are on 53 points from 24 league games, while Sunderland are in eighth place with 36 points from 24 matches.
