Mikel Arteta provided an optimistic update on Bukayo Saka’s recovery, hinting that the England winger is set to return for Arsenal’s upcoming match against Nottingham Forest. Saka had to miss last week’s Nations League fixtures after picking up an injury during the 1-1 draw at Chelsea before the international break. With Arsenal looking to maintain their momentum in the Premier League title race, Arteta’s side is eager to avoid any further setbacks against a strong Forest team.
Despite a season affected by multiple injuries, Arsenal will be boosted by the return of captain Martin Ødegaard, who played through his recovery at Stamford Bridge before being given time off by Norway. Declan Rice, who also battled through injury against Chelsea, missed the final two games of England’s previous fixtures under interim manager Lee Carsley.
Leandro Trossard, who appeared to suffer an injury during Belgium’s match with Israel, has been given the all-clear and looks set to feature as well. Arteta shared an update at his pre-match press conference, stating, “Trossard seems fine, he trained this morning. Bukayo and Declan also had their first session today, although it was a partial one.”
Riccardo Calafiori, who has been sidelined for the past month, is also progressing well. Arteta confirmed, “Riccy trained today and his rehabilitation has gone smoothly. He will be in the squad.”
However, there was a setback with Ben White, who has undergone surgery for a chronic knee problem. Arteta revealed, “Ben will be out for several months. It’s been an ongoing issue, and it wasn’t improving. We reached a point where we had to take action to protect the player, so unfortunately, he’ll be out for a while.”
