Mikel Arteta has been handed both good news and setbacks on the injury front as Arsenal gear up for their Premier League clash with Nottingham Forest this weekend.
The Gunners were boosted by the sight of Ben White and summer signing Christian Nørgaard returning to full training during the international break. White, who picked up a knock against Manchester United at Old Trafford, is now back with the group and pushing to reclaim his spot in Arteta’s starting XI.
Meanwhile, Nørgaard – who has yet to make his competitive debut for Arsenal after arriving from Brentford – was also involved and could feature for the first time in red and white.
New signing Piero Hincapié was also spotted training at Sobha Realty Training Centre, with the Ecuadorian defender in line to make his debut following his deadline-day move.
However, there were notable absentees. Bukayo Saka continues his recovery from a hamstring issue and was not part of the session, while William Saliba’s situation is causing more concern.
The Frenchman twisted his ankle during the warm-up before the clash with Liverpool and lasted only a few minutes before being forced off. Initial hopes of a quick recovery now appear optimistic, with his availability for the Forest match in serious doubt.
Arteta will provide a clearer update in Friday’s pre-match press conference, where he is also expected to address the progress of Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus, who are still working their way back to full fitness.
Arsenal supporters will be encouraged by the returns of White and Nørgaard, but the continued absence of two of the club’s most influential players – Saka and Saliba – remains a major worry ahead of a busy run of fixtures.
