Mikel Arteta handed Champions League boost after update on ‘dangerous’ Arsenal player

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Arsenal look set to welcome more players back from injury in the coming weeks, and midfielder Fabio Vieira could be next to return.

Vieira has been absent since November after undergoing surgery on a groin problem, and has continued from his inconsistent first season at the Emirates.

The 23-year-old started the campaign well and looked set for a strong season, but losing the starting spot he once gained, as well as this injury, has set his progress back.

It continued to be unclear when he would return, but Mikel Arteta has now been handed a major boost over Vieira’s fitness.

Fabio Vieira set to return for Arsenal

A report from The Standard has now revealed that the Portuguese midfielder is close to returning to full training in the coming days.

Vieira is reportedly hoping to return to the squad as Arsenal travel to face his former side, FC Porto, in the Champions League last-16 next week.

This will be the first time Vieira returns to Estadio Do Dragao since his move to Arsenal in the summer of 2022, but he did feature in Portugal as The Gunners faced Sporting Club De Portugal in the Europa League last season, after which Arteta described him as “dangerous.”

Fabio Vieira could have big impact for Arsenal this season

Although the campaign has not gone well for Vieira so far, he will be a very useful asset to have in the squad for the rest of the season.

The start of the season saw Vieira make a game-changing impact off the bench against Fulham, in a remarkable display which showed what he was truly capable of, and even having him back amongst the substitutes could make a huge difference.

Vieira thrives in creative midfield positions, and his final ball is perhaps his biggest strength. Arsenal’s bench was so thin on Sunday that Cedric Soares, Mohamed Elneny and Ethan Nwaneri all came on, in a game where the former Porto sensation could have excelled off the bench.

Arteta will need to rotate carefully as he aims to balance his side’s league and European commitments, and Vieira’s return will give him an extra option in midfield to do so.

The 23-year-old will need regular game time to kick on and spark his Arsenal career into life, and that may not come in the next few months. However, that does not mean he cannot play a huge role as a rotational player in the run-in.