Mikel Arteta has faced the media ahead of Arsenal’s clash with Atalanta in the Champions League on Thursday evening.
The Gunners head into the tie off the back of a 1-0 win over Tottenham in the North London Derby, where plenty of resolve was needed to earn all three points.
As attention turns towards European competition, there will be an emphasis placed on picking up as many points as possible there too.
The new Champions League format places teams into a league, rather than a group stage, meaning that all eight fixtures could count towards their final standings.
Arsenal have plenty of tough ties and Arteta will be keen to take some of that pressure off with an early victory against last season’s Europa League winners.
Riccardo Calafiori and Bukayo Saka injury update
There was less than ideal news on the injury front after Arteta confirmed that Martin Odegaard has suffered ligament damage in his ankle.
While the club captain looks set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines, there was a boost to the squad elsewhere on the fitness front.
A duo of Bukayo Saka and Riccardo Calafiori were spotted in training ahead of the squad’s flight to Italy on Wednesday.
The former was unable to complete the North London Derby through a slight issue, with concerns arising over his fitness for this week.
As for Calafiori, he picked up a bizarre leg injury during a clash against France for the Italian national team, but is now available again.
Speaking to the media ahead of the game, the Arsenal boss confirmed that both would be available in the squad.
“Riccardo [Calafiori] was able to train today and he will be in the squad,” Arteta said. “Saka was able to train today and completed most of the session so he’s available.”
It’s the news that most fans would’ve desired after the difficult update received on their talismanic playmaker.
Should Calafiori or Saka play against Atalanta?
So with both Calafiori and Saka available for the return of the Champions League, there will be some interest in whether either will play against Atalanta.
In an ideal world, both would play cameo roles in a victory – with the defender building up fitness again after injury while the winger’s workload needs to be managed.
However, with the squad looking stretched, it may be less of a question of whether either player should play but rather whether they could play.
And with both of them now fit and available, there’s a real chance that they feature in Bergamo on Thursday night.
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