February 16th 2024.
During his press conference on Friday, Mikel Arteta remained tight-lipped about Arsenal's injury concerns, but did mention that some players who are struggling with fitness may still be able to play in Saturday's match against Burnley.
One such player is Gabriel Jesus, who has been dealing with a knee issue. Along with Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Emile Smith Rowe, Takehiro Tomiyasu, and Jorginho are all not at full fitness. Arteta was hesitant to confirm their availability for the game, but did mention that they are all making progress and could potentially be back in the lineup.
He stated, "Some of them have been progressing better than others. We have a training session today and I'm optimistic that we might see a few of them back tomorrow."
When asked specifically if any of the players were ruled out, Arteta responded that they are not, and also gave an update on Thomas Partey's return from a long-term injury. He shared, "At the moment, no. There have been no major setbacks and Thomas Partey is recovering well. I don't want to give too much away, but he's already back on the field."
As Arsenal prepares for a busy period with a Champions League match against Porto next week, Arteta expressed his desire to rotate the squad, but acknowledged that injuries have made it difficult to do so recently. He explained, "We have to take each game as it comes because in some positions, we haven't had much choice. We've had to play certain players because we didn't have any other options."
In addition to the current injury concerns, Fabio Vieira is also recovering from an injury and will not feature in this weekend's match. However, Arteta did mention that there is a chance he could be available for the Porto game.
As Arsenal aims for their fifth consecutive win on Saturday, Arteta is hopeful that some of the injured players will be able to make their return. And with upcoming matches against tough opponents, the team is eager to have a full and healthy squad to choose from.
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