Arsenal stars Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, Noni Madueke and Kai Havertz
Image credit: Getty Images
Arsenal will aim to strengthen their grip on the Premier League summit when they travel to Turf Moor this weekend for what could prove another decisive round in the title race.
The Gunners enter Saturday’s clash against Burnley after a relentless run of fixtures, their third game in just six days and Mikel Arteta is expected to restore several first-team regulars who were rested for the midweek Carabao Cup win over Brighton.
Despite making changes, Arsenal showed no signs of slowing down as second-half strikes from Ethan Nwaneri and substitute Bukayo Saka secured their eighth consecutive victory in all competitions.
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Focus now returns to league duties, where Arsenal currently lead the pack, four points clear of second-placed Bournemouth. A win at Turf Moor could further solidify their position at the top, but the challenge is not expected to be straightforward. Newly promoted Burnley have lost only once at home this season, a narrow defeat sealed by Mohamed Salah’s stoppage-time penalty for Liverpool.
Arteta continues to navigate a demanding schedule amid ongoing injury concerns. William Saliba faces a late fitness test after sustaining an ankle injury in last weekend’s win over Crystal Palace, while Gabriel Martinelli remains sidelined with a thigh problem. Both players missed the midweek cup tie against Brighton.
Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz
Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz (Image credit: Getty Images)
The injury list doesn’t end there. Declan Rice and Riccardo Calafiori were also forced off against Palace, and Bukayo Saka had battled illness in the lead-up to that match. Encouragingly, all three featured on Wednesday, with Rice and Saka making substitute appearances, Saka even adding a goal while Calafiori remained on the bench.
Looking ahead, Arteta is cautiously optimistic about welcoming several key players back in the coming weeks. Kai Havertz, Martin Odegaard, and Noni Madueke are all edging closer to full fitness, and the Arsenal boss is hopeful they could return in time for next month’s highly anticipated north London derby against Tottenham.
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“Yeah,” Arteta said when asked if he expects the trio to feature against Spurs. “And [I am] excited because they are tremendous players. I see them work every single day, how desperate they are to be part of the team. [It will be] a huge boost for the squad to have those players available again after such a long, long time. So, really happy that I think it is going to be very soon.”
Noni Madueke
Noni Madueke (Image credit: Getty Images)
Havertz has been out since undergoing knee surgery following an injury against Manchester United on opening day. Madueke also sustained a knee issue versus Manchester City last month, though he avoided surgery. Odegaard, meanwhile, has endured a frustrating campaign, having battled both shoulder and knee problems.
“I would say weeks, and some of them pretty soon, hopefully if they keep evolving the way they are doing,” Arteta added. “It’s difficult to put a game on it. We have the international break coming, which gives a two-week window. After that, I think we will have some back. I don’t know if it will be all of them, some of them, but they’ll be quite close by then.”
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