Mikel Arteta has been boosted by the return to training of left-backs Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie ahead of Manchester United’s visit to the Emirates, though it remains to be seen whether either will be fit enough to feature in Sunday’s matchday squad.
Both players have been sidelined with muscular issues. Calafiori has not featured since the Carabao Cup win over Crystal Palace on 23 December, while Hincapie has been out since the goalless draw with Liverpool a fortnight ago.
In their absence, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Jurrien Timber have stepped up, with the former making a strong case for another start after an assured display in midweek against Inter Milan.
Facing the media on Friday, [Arteta said](https://www.arsenal.com/news/every-word-artetas-pre-man-united-presser): “We still have another training session, so we’ll see tomorrow, after that, to assess everybody and make a decision, first of all, in the squad.”
Elsewhere, Arteta appeared to confirm suggestions that the knee injury which has kept Kai Havertz sidelined for much of the season, requires careful management. The Germany international made his long-awaited return as a substitute against Portsmouth in the FA Cup and picked up further minutes in the Carabao Cup win over Chelsea, but was not involved at Nottingham Forest or in the Champions League victory at the San Siro.
“He is very close. Obviously, he has been out for a long time, almost a year, for different reasons, and now we have to be very smart in the manner that we manage that load, the minutes.
“I am sure that in the next few weeks, he is going to play in minutes. I cannot tell you which competition because that will depend as well on the game context, and if it’s a context that is positive to throw him in or not with his qualities. It is great that we have him. We can use him in different positions. We will see him in different positions, and we are really happy to have him.”
Asked if the club were minded to be cautious with Havertz in the hope of having him firing on all cylinders for the run-in, Arteta continued: “Yes, because after a long-term injury it is not only the period that you come in, it is what happens in the next six to eight weeks, and we want to maintain that and manage that really well so that we can creep it up, when all the big, big games are coming up and we have to make sure that everybody is in the right mind and physically at the highest level.”
This time last year, Arteta labelled Havertz a ‘genetic powerhouse’ only for the German to tear his hamstring days later. That injury, coupled with the knee problem sustained this season, has limited the striker to less than an hour’s competitive playing time in the best part of a year. With a World Cup on the horizon, he’ll be pushing himself hard to get up to speed, but he also needs to rebuild trust in his own body.
Arteta doesn’t think that will be an issue.
“I don’t think so because he’s a player that has an unbelievable track record, and what happened, okay, it happene,d and you have to go through that in your career at least once.
“He’s gone through that period that has enabled him as well to learn more about the game, about his body and probably about how much he loves playing and how difficult it is in life when football is not a big part of that and he looks really, really hungry and I’m sure we’re going to see a very good version of Kai.”
The only Arsenal player definitively ruled out for the weekend is teenager Max Dowman, who is nursing an ankle problem. With the squad emerging from a hectic festive schedule still competing on four fronts, it’s an encouraging sign that the early-season fitness issues are beginning to ease.