Arsenal handed major boost as Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber spotted arriving at team hotel ahead of showdown with Liverpool
- Arsenal hosts Liverpool on Sunday in a major showdown at the top of the table
- Saka and Timber will be involved after being spotted on the team
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Arsenal have been given a major boost after Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber were spotted arriving at the team hotel ahead of their clash with Liverpool.
Saka has missed the Gunners’ last two games due to a hamstring injury suffered during international matches with England.
Meanwhile, Timber has not played since the international break due to a muscle problem.
Arteta confirmed that both players returned to training on Friday ahead of the clash against Arne Slot’s side, but their involvement in Sunday’s game remains in doubt.
It appears both players will be included in the matchday squad after arriving with the team on Saturday evening.
Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber were spotted arriving at the team hotel ahead of the clash against Liverpool.
The duo have not played for the Gunners in recent matches due to muscle problems
It will be a big boost for Arteta’s side, who have suffered from injuries, while Riccardo Calafiori is also a doubt for the match.
At his pre-match press conference on Friday, Arteta said: ‘He (Saka) has been training a bit on the grass. How far we can get him before Sunday is another question. We have one more day and that’s a good thing, because this week we had an extra day. We’ll see.’
“He’s had the first session where he could have any involvement,” Arteta said of Timber’s possible return.
‘He’s been out for a while. “We expected him to be further back than where he is now, but again, we’ll have to wait and see.”
In addition to captain Odegaard, the Gunners are also without Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney due to injuries, while Oleksandr Zinchenko has yet to play since recovering from a calf problem.
On battling injury uncertainty, the Arsenal boss added: ‘I normally like to go to bed with the line-up in my head so I can sleep like a baby!
Mikel Arteta confirmed during his press conference on Friday that both players were returning to training
‘But sometimes that can’t be the case because you have to wait until the next day. Sometimes two days earlier. Or just three days before you already have the idea: ‘I’m going to do this against this team’, but if you have uncertainty with injuries that is difficult.’
A win against Liverpool will see Arsenal close the gap on the Reds to three points, while defeat will leave the Gunners seven points behind first place.
