Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is anxiously awaiting updates on the fitness of key players Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, whose hamstring injuries have compounded the team’s recent struggles in the Premier League.
The Gunners, once considered serious title contenders, now find themselves 13 points adrift of league leaders Liverpool, a stark reflection of their recent form.
Saka, an England international, underwent surgery before Christmas, while Martinelli has also been sidelined with a hamstring issue.
Both players are on the road to recovery, with hopes of a return after the upcoming international break in March.
“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,” Arteta stated.
Arteta is scheduled to meet with the medical team on Thursday to gain a clearer picture of their progress. “They are evolving well but they’re still a bit far. 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.”
The absence of Saka and Martinelli, coupled with season-ending injuries to Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz, has severely hampered Arsenal’s attacking prowess.
The team has failed to score in their last two league matches, a 1-0 defeat to West Ham followed by a 0-0 draw against Nottingham Forest.
Midfielder Jorginho expressed the team’s frustration, calling for a collective effort to address their goal-scoring woes.
“We need to keep pushing, we need to keep going. We need to find the solutions to score, to create more chances in the box, more shots. Everyone needs to step up and do a bit more for the team,” he said.
The draw against Nottingham Forest provided a valuable point for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side in their pursuit of Champions League qualification.
Nuno praised his team’s resilience, highlighting their response after a disappointing loss to Newcastle. “We responded well at half-time at St James’ Park. The team realised how bad it was and tried to revert. I think it was good that we started the same way, with the same idea,” he said.
