Arsenal will be desperate to get Bukayo Saka fit to face Real Madrid in the Champions League. The 23-year-old has not played since December after undergoing hamstring surgery.
Saka pulled up during Arsenal's 5-1 win against Crystal Palace and was forced to go under the knife to fix that issue. He has missed the last 19 matches across all competitions - including 12 in the Premier League - and is not expected to be return until April at the earliest.
But with Arsenal having just one more game, the visit of Chelsea on Sunday, before April, Saka could be set to be back in action soon. Mikel Arteta has remained optimistic about Saka's progress and is keen to have him back after the March international break.
As the Gunners are out of the FA Cup, they return with a home match against Fulham on Tuesday, April 1. It's the first of a Premier League double-header within four days, with a trip to Everton on Saturday, April 5.
Should Arsenal want to get Saka fit enough to start in their Champions League quarter-final first leg against Real Madrid on Tuesday, April 8, the Gunners no doubt need him in the squad for Fulham or Everton in early April.
This is so Saka can get some much-needed first-team minutes before being raring to go for the task of troubling Real. If he can get a minimum of 60 minutes across the two Premier League games then Saka might be worth the risk to start from off because he can be so effective and dangerous on that right-hand side.
Arsenal host Real on April 8 before travelling to Madrid on Wednesday, April 16. A Premier League game at home against Brentford is sandwiched between them both on Saturday, April 12.
It's imperative that the Gunners take an advantage into the return leg in Madrid. As Manchester City showed, Real can be free-scoring, especially at home, and Arsenal need to ensure they're ahead from the first leg - so Saka being back available and ready to start would be preferred.
While the exact date of Saka's return is uncertain, at this stage, a return against Fulham or Everton would be ideal to get him some minutes before that blockbuster first leg against Real.
Issuing an update on Saka's fitness following Arsenal's 1-1 draw against Manchester United on Sunday, Arteta said: "After the international break, let's see where he is at - his progress is really good and he's really willing, as you can imagine, so we are positive that in a few weeks, he will hopefully be back."
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Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus with the Arsenal Therapy Dog Win during the Arsenal Men's team group shoot at London Colney on September 18, 2023
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