Mikel Arteta has provided key updates on the fitness of several Arsenal players ahead of their crucial Champions League quarter-final match against Sporting Clube de Portugal in Lisbon. The team faces a number of injury concerns, with several key players not expected to be available for the game.
During his press conference on Monday, Arteta confirmed that Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber will not be part of the travelling squad. Both players have been left behind and are not expected to feature in the upcoming clash.
“They haven’t travelled in yet, let’s see, hopefully they’re going to be ready for the weekend, if everything goes well,” Arteta said.
This absence is a significant blow for the team, as they have recently lost several important players. Arteta acknowledged the challenge, stating, “That’s a massive boost because in recent days we’ve lost so many important players and that’s something that we need to change immediately.”
In addition to Saka and Timber, Eberechi Eze and Mikel Merino remain sidelined due to injury. There are also doubts over Piero Hincapie’s availability for the match.
Despite these setbacks, there is some positive news. Gabriel, Declan Rice, and Leandro Trossard are all fit and available for the game. When asked about their participation, Arteta simply replied, “yes, yes and yes.”
The focus of much attention has been on Viktor Gyokeres, who will face his former club. Arteta shared his thoughts on the player and the decision to sign him.
“I think he’s very excited,” the Arsenal boss said. “He’s full of gratitude for his time here. The way he talks about the club, the players, the staff, everybody around the club. The experience that he had, how important that part of his journey in Sporting has been.”
Gyokeres is expected to receive a warm welcome at Estadio Jose Alvalade. However, his former teammate Nuno Santos will not be available for the match, as he continues to recover from a thigh injury sustained during a recent game against Alverca. In that match, Santos only lasted 26 minutes before being forced off.
Another player affected by injury is Luis Guilherme, who suffered a foot sprain during the same game. Fotis Ioannidis is also absent, having been out since January after picking up a knee injury in the League Cup match against Vitoria Guimaraes.
On the other hand, Rui Borges, the manager of Sporting Clube de Portugal, has received a boost with the return of Geovany Quenda. The 18-year-old midfielder has been out for almost four months due to a metatarsal fracture.
Speaking about his return this month, Quenda said: “I’m very happy to be back. I’m training with the rest of the team and I feel very good. Mentally, I’m always at 100 per cent. All of the people who gave me strength have contributed greatly. We have goals to achieve and I have to do my best to help the team. We will continue working hard, because everything is possible. I think we will achieve our objectives.”
