Mikel Arteta has been putting his Arsenal squad through their paces in training ahead of Saturday’s Premier League showdown with Sunderland. The Gunners are hoping to extend their lead at the top of the table to nine points as they host Sunderland at the Emirates Stadium.

It’s already been a successful week for Arsenal, having secured a 1-0 win over Chelsea in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final to book a place in the final. Arteta, however, was without key players Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard for that victory, with fresh injury updates on the duo now emerging.

Jurrien Timber played the full 90 minutes in the Carabao Cup win but raised concerns after he was notably absent from training just two days later. Arteta addressed these injuries and provided updates during his pre-match press conference, with at least one piece of good news confirmed.

Saka Injury Update

While Saka was still not present in Friday’s training session, Arteta delivered a positive update on the winger’s hip injury. Despite being sidelined for several days, Arteta stated, “His hip is much better, and hopefully, he’ll be back with us very soon.”

Alongside the upcoming clash with Sunderland, Saka is also expected to miss Arsenal’s trip to Brentford and their FA Cup fourth-round match against Wigan. However, the plan is for the winger to return in time for the highly anticipated North London Derby against Tottenham.

With a league fixture against Wolves at Molineux coming up shortly before the derby, there is a possibility Saka could make his return earlier than expected, potentially featuring in that match.