Mikel Arteta has provided Arsenal injury update by confirming that key players Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice are fit and available to face Brentford on Saturday. Both players were forced to leave the field prematurely during the team’s 3-0 win over Real Madrid on Tuesday night due to knocks.
Quotes from Mikel Arteta
“With Dec and Bukayo, they’re both fit. So it was just a matter of two kicks and they recovered well, so they are available for tomorrow.” Arteta also provided an update on Riccardo Calafiori, who picked up a knee injury on international duty. “Ricky’s progressing really well. I think to give you a timeline is difficult because he needs to step up, especially having more people around and how he reacts after that. But he’s in a good place.”
Kai Havertz’s Recovery
Regarding Kai Havertz’s hamstring surgery in January, Arteta said, “Every injury isn’t the same. The mindset of [Kai and Bukayo], though is very, very similar. They have a great injury history, great work ethic, are desperate to get back playing as quickly as possible, and we have great medical staff as well to look after them. Hopefully we can have him, but let’s wait. Once you get to the last stage of the rehab is when you can better understand how close or far away you are to making that next step.”
Implications for the Team
The availability of Saka and Rice is a significant boost for Arsenal as they look to maintain their momentum in the Premier League. With a strong squad and a positive team dynamic, Arsenal is well-positioned to make a push for the rest of the season.¹