Mikel Arteta insists many of the injured Arsenal stars are close to returning, and he will likely name an unchanged lineup to face Burnley.
Arsenal are set to continue their recent good run as they make the trip to Lancashire to face Burnley. The Gunners will aim for a fifth straight win in the Premier League title and will come into this clash at the back of a thumping of West Ham United.
Mikel Arteta’s pre-match press conference had many topics of discussion, including Arsenal’s potential interest in Kylian Mbappe. However, the manager did not draw too much into it and focused on the task at hand against Burnley, as he insisted many of his injured stars were close to returning.
Arteta said, “Some of them have been progressing better than others. We have a training session again today. Some of them have done a few bits this week, and I’m positive that, hopefully, we’re going to get a few back for tomorrow.”
Meanwhile, Arteta also spoke positively about Thomas Partey’s fitness, insisting he has returned to the field, which could be an indication the midfielder is closer to the actual action.
Arteta continued, “No, there are no big setbacks on any of the other injuries, and Thomas Partey is progressing really well as well. I don’t want to say too much, but he’s looking very good, and he’s on the field already.”
Fabio Vieira, who has been missing since receiving a red card against Burnley in the reverse fixture, is also close to a return. The Portuguese midfielder suffered an injury which required surgery, and Arteta insists he could make a swift return in the coming period.
On Vieira, Arteta said, “He’s very close. He’s been training already for a few days with the team. So I think it’s very close. He’ll be back probably faster than we expected and he’s in a good place.”
There are still more immediate fitness concerns about two of Arsenal’s key defenders, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Oleksandr Zinchenko. The former returned from the Japan camp with a niggle, while the Ukrainian continued to nurse a calf problem.
Jakub Kiwior has done exceptionally well in the last two games and could get the nod to start against Burnley. Moreover, Arteta may not risk either Tomiyasu or Zinchenko, particularly with the Champions League on the horizon.
Overall, Arteta could name an unchanged lineup to face Burnley, complete with the same back four and midfield three. Hence, Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz might likely keep swapping their positions on the field, depending on the game state.
On paper, Havertz will begin in the No.9 role, with Trossard taking up a midfield position besides Declan Rice. Bukayo Saka, who scored his 50th goal in Arsenal colours against West Ham, will continue on the right-hand side of the front three, with Gabriel Martinelli featuring on the left.
Predicted Arsenal XI: Raya; Ben White, Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Kiwior; Odegaard, Rice, Trossard; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli
