Arsenal have fixtures against Crystal Palace and Paris Saint-Germain remaining, with Jurrien Timber and Mikel Merino in a race for fitness before the end of the season
Arsenal are Premier League champions, but still have two matches remaining before their season is over, with two players chasing the opportunity to feature. The Gunners bow out of domestic action with a clash against Crystal Palace this weekend, before Mikel Arteta’s squad battle for their place in the Champions League final team.
While the team were entitled to some celebration, those on the injury list will have been sure to balance that with the hard work required to try and help the team again, and keep alive their hopes of making it to the World Cup. That work will continue in the coming days.
“We have 48 hours to enjoy the success of winning the league,” Arteta explained. “Now, tomorrow and Saturday, we’re going to prepare really well because we need to now lift again our habits and the standards that we normally do things to be in the best possible way to compete.
“On Sunday, we’ll have a little window there again to celebrate, to lift the trophy in a manner that deserves it, to connect with the people that we have constantly around us. But then we have six days that we need to write a new history in this football club.”
With that said, football.london takes a look at the latest injury news from the Emirates.
Mikel Merino
The Spanish midfielder has returned to training before Crystal Palace after undergoing surgery on a foot injury in February. There has been a great deal of uncertainty over his availability before the end of the season but this looks to be a positive step, though his match fitness is likely to be up for greater debate. Merino was missing initially from Thursday’s session but joined in around a quarter of an hour after it began.
“Mikel is going to start to train with the group tomorrow,” Arteta explained on Thursday. “Today he’s done a little bit, it was just a very light session obviously.”
Potential return date: May 30 vs PSG.
Jurrien Timber
The Dutch defender has also endured a long stretch out as a result of an ankle issue. Time is running out for the full back to prove his fitness enough to play a meaningful role over Arsenal’s final week of the season.
Timber is behind Merino’s trajectory for a return but is on the path back to fitness. “Jurrien let’s hope he can do the same in the next few days,” Arteta said. “But he’s still a little bit further behind than Mikel at the moment.”
Potential return date: May 30 vs PSG.
Ben White
The versatile defender can only watch on as Arsenal attempt to add a second trophy to their end-of-season haul. The 28-year-old suffered a knee injury against West Ham and he is not expected to return until the north London side begin pre-season.
Potential return date: Next season.
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