Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has shared the latest updates on the fitness of his first-team squad ahead of the London derby against Chelsea, while also praising the impressive form of striker Viktor Gyokeres.

Speaking to the media at the Sobha Realty Training Centre on Friday, Arteta confirmed there were no fresh injury concerns following last weekend’s commanding 4-1 victory at Tottenham Hotspur, reports alldaysport.net

“No so far,” Mikel reported, “we’re waiting for tomorrow, the last training session, to understand if we have one or two available from last week.”

The north London derby passed without any new injuries, and there’s optimism that some players who missed the Spurs win could return in time for the clash with Chelsea.

“We are hopeful; Max (Dowman) will play some minutes tonight with the under-21s.
“Kai will train tomorrow and then we’ll see (if he’s fit to face Chelsea).”

Arteta has consistently emphasized that the key with injury recoveries is bringing players back stronger, rather than rushing them.

One standout example is Viktor Gyokeres, who has bounced back in spectacular style after missing games in November and December. The striker has netted eight goals in his last twelve appearances, including two in the emphatic win over Spurs.

“Well I think one thing leads to another,” Mikel said of Gyokeres.

“When you score the first one, the performance is good, you have more time with your teammates, you understand the games, the opponents, the league, everything helps.
“We know his qualities, he’s undoubtedly an incredible striker. We need to feed his quality, we need to understand him better, he needs to understand the team, the league better and I think we are in the right trajectory.”

With fitness levels looking promising and Gyokeres in fine form, Arsenal fans can be excited for the high-stakes showdown against Chelsea this weekend./ALLDAYSPORT/