Arsenal have had to deal with a series of impactful absences in big matches this season, but Mikel Arteta has just received a major boost on this front.
The Gunners take on Girona in their final game of the inaugural league phase of the Champions League on Wednesday night, knowing avoiding defeat will guarantee a place in the top eight.
Bukayo Saka won’t be available for the clash after undergoing hamstring surgery in December, while Gabriel Jesus, Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu remain long-term absentees.
The pressure is on Arteta to deliver a positive result in Northern Spain after a turbulent season, and he should have the help of two key players who didn’t feature against Wolves.
Arsenal duo Martin Odegaard and Mikel Merino return to training
Arsenal will look to round off a successful initial Champions League phase with a resounding victory against Girona on Wednesday.
The Gunners will be hoping to finish as high up in the European competition’s table to avoid a more difficult encounter in the round of 16.
Ahead of the fixture, the Arsenal squad hosted an open training session, where two stars were spotted back with the team.
Journalist Charles Watts confirmed that both Martin Odegaard and Mikel Merino were present at London Colney.
The return comes after Arteta explained the duo’s absence for the Wolves game, with Odegaard missing out through sickness and Merino out due to a ‘knock’.
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Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu’s continued absences are a concern
While Odegaard and Merino’s returns were a boost for Arteta, the continued absences of White and Tomiyasu will be a concern.
White reportedly returned to training last week, and thus has perhaps suffered a setback in his recovery from injury.
Meanwhile, Tomiyasu has featured just once all season, and continues to be plagued by persistent fitness issues.
Arteta has been forced to rely upon Jurrien Timber in almost every game, and the Dutchman is beginning to feel the effects of this.
Timber’s form has dropped off slightly in recent weeks, and he’s in desperate need of a short rest.
However, without White and Tomiyasu, Arteta cannot afford to grant the former Ajax man is a spell on the sidelines.
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