Mikel Arteta has confirmed that star man Bukayo Saka is ‘ready to go’ against Fulham on Tuesday evening.
Arsenal stars Gabriel and Leandro Trossard are just two first team members sharing the excitement of manager Mikel Arteta and fans to see starboy Bukayo Saka return to action against Fulham tonight.
The Gunners host the Cottagers under the lights at the Emirates Stadium and all eyes will be on Saka, who is expected to make his return from a long-term lay off due to a hamstring problem. The forward limped off against Crystal Palace in December and has been missed by Arsenal with the side falling away in the title race during his absence.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Arteta said: “Bukayo is ready to go. All the careful things he's already done, so now it's about putting him on the grass in the right moments. He's pushing because he really wants it. We have to respect the timeframe, but we have done everything and we have had to hold him back even, so he's ready to go.
“It's another massive weapon that we have. We know the impact that he's had on the team and how important his role and his contribution is to our success, so great to have him back.”
Arsenal teammates excited for Bukayo Saka injury return
Arsenal shared a series of images from training on Monday afternoon with an invigorated Saka appearing in every shot. The England international could be seen shouting at team mates, walking with Belgian star Trossard, concentrating and making his way down the halls of the training ground. The caption read: “Back to business.”
Trossard shared the photo of himself with Saka, clearly excited to have the fellow winger back in action, posting it on his story with a handshake emoji. Meanwhile, there was also love from centre-back Gabriel, who posted his own training shots. The defender wrote: “Back to action!!! See you tomorrow Gunners!!”
Gabriel could be seen locked in battle with Saka in one of the shots, which he too shared to his story to tag the winger, along with an applause emoji and red heart.
While Saka is expected to see minutes against Fulham, it remains to be seen whether Arteta opts for the player from the off. The Gunners have a huge Champions League meeting with Real Madrid on the horizon and it’s pivotal Saka does not endure a setback before then, with Ethan Nwaneri a confident deputy.
Stuart Downing: Mikel Arteta faces Arsenal selection dilemma
Assessing the situation, former Premier League winger Stuart Downing told CaughtOffside: “Nwaneri is actually at a point now where you’re thinking ‘he could actually push Saka for a starting place’.
“I’m sure he can play in a number of positions, but Saka must be watching him and thinking ‘I’m going to have to be on my toes here’. For a few years now, that position out on the right has very much been his, but Nwaneri has come in and made it his own, really.
“You know, and you look at the goals he’s scoring, he’s so similar to Saka. He’s a proper Premier League player already, and he’s just turned 18. The problem Mikel is going to have will be ‘where do I fit him in?’ And look, it’s not a bad problem to have!”
In other news, Arsenal have arranged ‘formal talks’ with a £83m bagsman as Fabrizio Romano confirms Man Utd stance.