Bukayo Saka’s return to individual training comes as a vital boost for Arsenal ahead of their Premier League title race run-in, especially with the crunch match against Liverpool at Anfield on the horizon.
After being out of action due to a hamstring injury since December’s 5-1 victory over Crystal Palace, the England winger has missed a dozen league outings. Despite having to undergo surgery, Saka’s rehabilitation seems to be on track.
During his absence, Liverpool has accelerated their campaign, establishing a 12-point lead at the summit and reinforcing their bid for a second domestic crown within a five-year span.
Yet, the North Londoners received a significant lift as Saka was spotted back in training at London Colney, signaling a potential upcoming return to the first team which he teased on Instagram with a simple “Hello again.”
Mikel Arteta has addressed the injury situations of both Saka and fellow forward Martinelli, who has already made his comeback. Arteta conveyed cautious optimism regarding Saka’s post-international break fitness.
Stressing the need for gradual reintegration after prolonged spells on the sidelines, Arteta commented, “I think so but again let’s see how they evolve in the next few weeks to make the right steps and then after that, they’ve been out for a long, long time, so we’re going to have to integrate them as well gradually,” while admitting, “They are evolving well but they’re still a bit far.”
Looking ahead, Arteta shared, “We have a meeting tomorrow to discuss where they are, especially Gabi, who probably has a chance before Bukayo to come in, but how soon that is, we’ll have to see how it evolves in the next week or 10 days.”
Arsenal are set to return to Premier League action on Tuesday as they take on Fulham, while Liverpool will face off against Everton a day later. The Reds are well aware that a win in the Merseyside Derby will keep their 12-point lead at the top of the Premier League intact.
However, Arne Slot will be without Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez, Conor Bradley and Tyler Morton for the upcoming clash at Anfield due to injuries.
Alexander-Arnold, who is rumored to be nearing a move to Real Madrid come season end, was absent from the League Cup final loss to Newcastle United earlier this month after sustaining an ankle injury during the match against Paris Saint-Germain on March 11.
