A jubilant Mikel Arteta announced there was “very positive news” when it came to Arsenal's many injuries ahead of the club's Champions League clash with Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday night.
The Gunners are surrounded by INJURY this season, not only losing players for sustained periods, but arguably the most important individuals in the squad. William Saliba was the latest to join the London Colney treatment room after a muscle problem sidelined him for Saturday's 2-2 draw with Aston Villa.
Initial reports suggested the normally steady Frenchman would be out for around two weeks with a hamstring strain. Arteta did not reveal a detailed timeline but revealed that Saliba is “evolving really well”.
“The last few days he was feeling a lot better already, but this game comes a little early for him,” added the manager.
Riccardo Calafiori has been hit by minor fitness concerns during his debut campaign in the capital, but is set to return for midweek's European clash.
As Arteta was keen to reveal, teenage sensation Ethan Nwaneri will join his Italian teammate in the squad. “Very positive news”, said the Spanish boss. “We missed them for a couple of weeks and they came back today for training. They will be available for the game.”
Bukayo Saka is from Arsenal the biggest shortage. The reliable winger suffered a hamstring tear before Christmas which briefly looked threatening the rest of his season.
Arteta reluctantly revealed that the striker will be out for several months. While a return in March is still the expected recovery timeline, Arteta added: “He is doing very well. He is feeling better day by day, but we have to respect the healing process and then he has other stages to go through rehabilitation.”