Arsenal have resumed training at the Sobha Realty Training Centre, following a brief recovery period after their win against Wolves. The victory, largely attributed to Bukayo Saka’s two assists, has been met with criticism and introspection within the club, particularly in light of the final whistle.
The performance did not mirror Arsenal’s current standing in the Premier League and Champions League tables, nor did it reflect the aspirations of a team aiming for top honours. However, Mikel Arteta’s squad has been grappling with several injuries, providing some context to their recent struggles.
While a majority of the players are believed to be participating in the training sessions, a few are still on the road to recovery, working closely with the physiotherapy and rehabilitation team indoors.
Kai Havertz, however, is not yet ready to rejoin the main group, confirmed the Arsenal boss, but he is back on the pitch, which is a significant step forward. The German striker has been sidelined since injuring his knee on the opening day at Manchester United.
« He is doing really well, he is doing stuff on the pitch, » Arteta admitted in early December. « But I think he needs some time. »
Martin Zubimendi was also absent from the session, although it’s understood that the club is carefully managing his workload.
Gabriel Magalhaes, Cristhian Mosquera, Max Dowman and Ben White, who picked up an injury against Wolves, are the four players also waiting to return to training. Gabriel is the nearest to rejoining the squad; however, he is likely to have to wait until after Christmas unless he makes significant progress this week.
Dowman (ankle), Mosquera (ankle), and White (hamstring) are not anticipated to rejoin the team until the New Year. Riccardo Calafiori is now eligible to play at Everton after serving a one-match suspension against Wolves.
Marli Salmon, the 16-year-old defender who made his competitive debut against Club Brugge in the Champions League, is also training with the first team. Meanwhile, Christian Norgaard, who started as centre-half in Belgium, could become more prominent following White’s injury.
William Saliba also made his comeback recently.
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