Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Bukayo Saka is available following a hamstring injury.
The influential 23-year-old has been sidelined for the past three months but could make his return as Fulham visit the Emirates on Tuesday night in the Premier League.
Saka enjoyed a productive opening to the 2024-25 campaign, scoring five goals and providing 10 assists as Arsenal battled Liverpool in the title race.
However, the Gunners academy graduate was forced onto the operating table by a hamstring problem sustained during the Premier League thrashing of Crystal Palace on December 21.
Impressing on the domestic scene, Saka has also represented a force to be reckoned with in the Champions League, chipping in with six goal contributions during the League Phase of the competition.
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Saka is “ready to go” – Arteta provides positive update
Whilst entering the final stages of his recovery from injury, Saka was left out of Thomas Tuchel‘s first England squad during the March international break.
However, the North London hero is approaching an imminent return according to Arteta’s pre-match press conference ahead of Tuesday night’s Fulham match, with the Spaniard stating: “Bukayo Saka is ready to go.”
“All the careful things are already done. Now it’s about putting him on the grass at the right moment, but he’s pushing because he really wants to.
“We have respected the timeline and we have done everything. Bukayo is a massive weapon that we have. We know the impact he has in the team and how important his role and contribution is to our success.”
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Could Saka go straight into the XI?
Sitting twelve points behind Liverpool in the Premier League standings, Arsenal require a miraculous sequence of events to have any chance of lifting their first English crown in two decades.
As a result, Arteta might be tempted to ease Saka back into competitive action, sparing him of a start in the league against Fulham on Tuesday.
A tricky trip to Goodison Park and Everton follows on Saturday afternoon, before all attention turns towards a monumental clash on the continental stage.
The Gunners continue their quest for Champions League glory versus Real Madrid on April 8, when Arteta’s men will be desperate for Saka to be fit and firing.
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