REUTERS/Chris Radburn
Arsenal have been handed a major injury boost ahead of their Premier League clash with Chelsea on Sunday afternoon at the Emirates.
The Gunners have enjoyed an excellent start to the new season, claiming maximum points from their first two league matches after comfortably dispatching Manchester City in the Community Shield. Mikel Arteta's side narrowly beat Aston Villa on Monday night at Villa Park, but now face their most challenging test yet this term when their West London rivals travel to N5 on Sunday.
The Blues themselves have impressed under new manager Xabi Alonso. Despite conceding five goals in their first two fixtures, Alonso's side have also emerged with six points.
Containing Chelsea's potent attack will certainly be difficult for Arteta's men, but it's been revealed that the Spanish boss will have new signing Bruno Guimaraes available to him for the encounter.
Bruno Guimaraes in Arsenal's Squad for Chelsea Clash
Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs
Arsenal signed Bruno Guimaraes for £75 million over the summer, adding the Brazilian to their cohort of talented midfielders.
The former Newcastle man hasn't really got going in a red and white shirt yet due to a recurring fitness issue. He missed the opening match against Coventry before managing just a 20-minute cameo against Villa on Monday.
When asked about Guimaraes' availability for Sunday in his press conference on Friday, Arteta produced a typically coy answer.
"He had a knock against Villa in the previous game and he’s being assessed. Hopefully, tomorrow he will be okay for training." - Arteta on Bruno Guimaraes.
This response has prompted Guimaraes to be dubbed a doubt for the visit of Chelsea, although a credible Arsenal source, HandofArsenal, has revealed that the player is in Arteta's squad for the game at the Emirates.
The source publicised the news on X on Sunday morning.
This is a huge boost for Arteta and his team's credentials against the Blues. Arsenal struggled for long periods against Villa on Monday, but once the Brazil international was introduced, this changed.
He added more bite, more verticality and more creative passing to the Gunners' midfield, helping them look more dangerous and take more control of the match in the final 20 minutes.
Arteta will surely be tempted to throw Guimaraes in from the start against Chelsea, alongside Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard.
Ethan Nwaneri in action for Borussia Dortmund
Ethan Nwaneri in action for Borussia Dortmund