The Premier League leaders are missing a slew of key players in the middle of a key run of fixtures at home and abroad
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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has offered an update on four of the Gunners’ injured players ahead of the Champions League clash against Bayern Munich.
The Spaniard provided updates on the status of summer signing Viktor Gyokeres, strikers Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus and Gunners captain Martin Odegaard, with all four players nearing returns for the Premier League leaders.
Arteta explained that Odegaard is the only one in contention to feature against Bayern, with the Norwegian last featuring in the win over West Ham in early October, but confirmed that Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli are now in contention to start.
Gunners captain Martin Odegaard has returned to training ahead of the game against Bayernopen image in gallery
Gunners captain Martin Odegaard has returned to training ahead of the game against Bayern (Getty Images)
“We're going to have a meeting now to decide on Martin. He was very close for the previous game, so we are hopeful that tomorrow he can be in the squad as well,” said Arteta.
The Arsenal boss offered more positive news on both Havertz and Gyokeres, who could both be available for the weekend’s game against second-placed Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
“Really good, both of them. In the next few days, they're going to have a repeat scan to see how everything is and where we can push them for the weekend,” he explained.
Elsewhere, Arteta offered a positive update on the fitness of Jesus, who has been sidelined since suffering an ACL injury in January of this year.
Jesus is also back in training, though he is some way off returning to first team actionopen image in gallery
Jesus is also back in training, though he is some way off returning to first team action (Getty Images)
“He's quite close to be fair, and it's earlier than we expected, in the next few days he's going to have another step to make, with a game that we're going to organise for him, and after that he's just going to be knocking on the door, because he's Gabriel, a winner, that's how it's happened,” said Arteta.
Summer signing Madueke recently returned from his own injury lay-off to make a cameo in the win over Tottenham, and Arteta added that the England international is in contention to start against the German champions this week, alongside fellow winger Martinelli.
While Sunday’s win over Spurs gave the Gunners a six-point lead at the top of the Premier League table, Arsenal sit in second place in the Champions League league phase table, below Bayern on goals scored.
Arteta deflected questions on whether Arsenal are “one of the elite European teams” or whether they “need to beat a team like Bayern to become one”.
“I don't know, if you talk about performances and consistency, hopefully, yes, but to consider that in terms of the trophies at that level, I mean, we have never won the Champions League in our history, and Bayern Munich won six.
“We are nothing compared to Real Madrid, they're a different universe. So, we're going to get there,” he added.