Image credit: Getty Images
Arsenal have been handed a significant fitness boost ahead of their Premier League return against Nottingham Forest this weekend.
The Gunners resume their top-flight campaign on Saturday lunchtime at the Emirates Stadium in the first game of the day, facing a Forest side now managed by former Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou following the surprise sacking of Nuno Espirito Santo.
Mikel Arteta’s side will be eager to bounce back after the international break, following a narrow 1-0 defeat to title rivals Liverpool. The loss halted Arsenal’s early-season momentum, which included a hard-fought win at Manchester United and a 5-0 demolition of newly-promoted Leeds United.
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Arsenal will still be without key winger Bukayo Saka, who continues to recover from a hamstring injury. However, Arteta revealed a surprise boost for the defence, with William Saliba returning to training ahead of the Forest clash. The French centre-back had been sidelined after twisting his ankle in the warm-up at Anfield, forcing him off just minutes into the game against Liverpool.
William Saliba
William Saliba (Image credit: Getty Images)
“Bukayo’s out and he’s trying to get back as quickly as possible, but we need to respect that process,” Arteta said in hispre-match press conference. “Wilo trained today, and the rest, as usual, and Ben White as well. Ben’s OK.”
Ben White, Christian Norgaard, and Piero Hincapie all participated in training, giving Arteta more options for the weekend. White missed the Leeds and Liverpool fixtures after suffering a minor knock, having started against Manchester United in the opening game of the season.
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Danish midfielder Norgaard, signed from Brentford for £10 million in July, featured in pre-season but has yet to make a competitive appearance due to injury. Meanwhile, Hincapie, the eighth and final major signing of Arsenal’s summer transfer window, could make his debut after returning quickly from international duty.
Ben White
Ben White is also back in training (Image credit: Getty Images)
The 23-year-old Ecuadorian defender, on a season-long loan from Bayer Leverkusen with an option to make it permanent for £45 million, played full 90-minute matches against Paraguay and Argentina in World Cup qualifiers.
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard also provided positive news, having fully recovered from the shoulder injury that limited him to a substitute role against Liverpool. The Norway international starred in his country’s 11-1 victory over Moldova on Tuesday, offering another boost to Arteta ahead of the Forest encounter.
With several key players back in training and fitness levels improving across the squad, Arsenal will hope to regain momentum and secure three points against the reshaped Forest side at the Emirates.
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