Arsenal Injury updates as Premier League title hunt bubbles up

Before Arsenal's match against Luton Town on Wednesday night, Mikel Arteta gave an update on the status of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, and Jurrien Timber's fitness.

Bukayo Saka returned to action from injury during Arsenal's recent match against Manchester City, but he had to be substituted off after 78 minutes due to receiving treatment from the team's physiotherapists. With matches coming thick and fast, Mikel Arteta's pre-match press conference occurred before the squad had a chance to undergo a full training session. Consequently, Arteta expressed his hope that Saka would recover well but admitted that they would need to assess his condition on the training ground at the Sobha Realty Training Centre first.

In response to questions about Saka's fitness, Arteta stated, "He's doing fine. Since we haven't had a full training session yet, we've only focused on recovery and had a short session today to prepare for the upcoming game. We'll have to evaluate whether he's in the best condition to start or not."

During the match against Manchester City, Saka was replaced by Gabriel Martinelli, who made his first appearance in approximately a month after sustaining a foot injury against Sheffield United, causing him to miss two matches. This situation underscores the importance of managing players' fitness carefully, especially during periods of congested fixtures, to ensure their health and readiness for upcoming matches.

When questioned about his ability to play a full 90 minutes if required, the manager further commented:
“He is because he was available to play against a really tough opponent three days ago. Again, we'll train today and see the state of every player and make the right decision tomorrow.”
Our only other injury concern surrounds Jurrien Timber, who suffered an ACL injury on his Premier League debut against Nottingham Forest in August and has been on the road to recovery ever since.
Mikel provided an update on the Dutch full-back, stating that he is nearing a return to action, potentially at under-21 level, but wants to be fully sure that he’s ready for that step up in intensity before he makes a call.
“He’s doing very well, he’s back training,” Mikel revealed. “He’s not far off, but the thing is that last step, he hasn’t played any minutes so does he need a game with the under-21s, does he need two games?
“We are going to have to see, especially because he’s training with us and we need to see how long that will take him. That last part is tricky and sometimes takes a while. Hopefully, he’ll be back as soon as possible.”

Arteta: "You just need a second to change history"

With eight games crammed into a congested April schedule, Mikel Arteta has issued a challenge to all his players to strive for greatness, regardless of their involvement in the matches.
As Arsenal contends for the Premier League title and prepares for the Champions League quarter-finals, the outcomes of the next four weeks will significantly impact the club's chances of lifting trophies by season's end. Given the sheer volume of matches, Arteta plans to rotate his squad to manage the workload effectively.

Drawing inspiration from memorable moments like Reiss Nelson's late wonder goal against Bournemouth last season, Arteta urges players who may not currently be first-choice picks to seize their opportunities during these crucial eight matches. This sentiment underscores the importance of every player's contribution to the team's success, emphasizing the need for readiness and determination across the entire squad.

“It’s our obligation and duty to be prepared to play any minute, in any moment,” he said. “You see a lot of moments. When you look at Reiss’ moments for Arsenal, there are moments when he’s played a few minutes and made a huge impact, and it’s one of the best days of his life as an Arsenal player. Nobody remembers if he started or came off the bench.
“A lot of examples are like this in both football and the history of the sport when a lot of players make their impact. Sometimes you just need a second to change the history of a football club.
“They really need to feel it, and the best way to feel it is to play minutes. When they don't have the capacity to show what can do, they have to show it in training. We have to be close to them and we have to convince them to keep doing it and earn the right to play.”

The upcoming match against Luton Town on Wednesday night marks the beginning of an important stretch for Arsenal. This significance was evident during our previous encounter, where we secured a thrilling injury-time victory at Kenilworth Road with a 4-3 scoreline back in December.

Mikel Arteta had praised Luton Town ahead of that game, and his admiration for them persists as they display courage in their fight to avoid relegation. Despite their position in the bottom three, only goal difference is currently keeping them there.

When reflecting on his memories of that particular match, Mikel expressed: “It was really emotional and the way we celebrated tells you the difficulty of the match and how much we had to fight for the points, so we know what we're facing tomorrow.

“Big compliments to Rob and the coaching staff; what they have done as a club is an amazing journey. I think they deserve more credit than any other team in this league. How they have done it and what they transmit as a team and what they generate, it is going to be a really tough match.

“When you see the games that they have played - even when they haven't won, they've been really tough. We have had some extraordinary results against the other two teams that are, at the moment, leading the table. We are not top so that means that we have missed certain points somewhere else and that's what we have to put the emphasis on now tomorrow.”