Mikel Arteta is sweating over the fitness and availability of Bukayo Saka and Takehiro Tomiyasu ahead of the game between Arsenal and Manchester United.
Arsenal will aim to leapfrog Manchester City to the top of the Premier League table when they lock horns with Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday evening. And Mikel Arteta has new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
The Spaniard has been sweating over the fitness of Takehiro Tomiyasu and Bukayo Saka, with the duo missing training sessions ahead of the game against Manchester United. Otherwise, Arteta does not have any issues to deal with this weekend.
During his pre-match press conference, Arteta discussed the potential availability of Tomiyasu and Saka. The Spanish tactician also answered questions about Jorginho and his contract situation ahead of the summer.
The Arsenal manager said, “We have a few doubts that tomorrow can resolve because we have another training session so we will have to wait and see. There are doubts over the names that you discussed.”
“I think there are no questions about his [Jorginho] contribution to a team, the way he feels about his teammates, about the club and the way we play. He’s someone who makes everybody better – that’s his main quality. He’s still hungry, he wants to win, he wants to win with us, he’s happy here and his family is happy here, so for us it was a really easy decision.”
Jorginho might not feature in the starting lineup, with Thomas Partey retaining his spot at the base of the Arsenal midfield. The Ghanaian international will join Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard in the middle of the park, with Jorginho an option on the bench.
Meanwhile, Saka should be fit enough to start, with Arteta likely to take a risk, considering the importance of Sunday’s fixture. The Englishman will accompany Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard in the final third, with the former leading the line for Arsenal against Manchester United.
As for the defensive unit, Tomiyasu should start on the left flank, with Arteta also taking a risk with him. The Japanese international will accompany Ben White, Gabriel Magalhaes, and William Saliba in the backline. Finally, David Raya is an automatic pick between the sticks for the away side.
Predicted Arsenal XI: Raya; Ben White, Saliba, Gabriel, Tomiyasu; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Trossard
