Arsenal could be without several key players for the North London derby this weekend, but the same cannot be said of their opponents Tottenham Hotspur.
Mikel Arteta could be without his entire first-choice midfield, but he has not yet ruled out Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard.
Arteta has revealed that Gabriel Jesus could return, but with Declan Rice absent, it is a severely depleted squad that will head to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the North London derby.
It is a different story for the Spurs, as despite suffering a 2-1 defeat against Newcastle in their final game before the international break, they have now been handed a double boost over two previously injured players.
Tottenham handed double injury boost ahead of North London derby clash with Arsenal
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou revealed that injured pair Micky Van de Ven and Dominic Solanke could now return to face Arsenal.
“It’s fairly positive…Micky’s good, he’s trained all the way through the international break and it was good for him to stay with us to build him back up so he’s ready to go,” he stated.
“Dom’s improved as well and trained the back half of this week. We still have two days to go with those guys so hopefully they get through training ok and are available.”
Postecoglou did reveal that attacker Richarlison is still absent, but Spurs have nevertheless been handed two huge boosts ahead of Arsenal’s trip across North London.
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Arsenal must be wary of Spurs threat
Arsenal will be aware of the boost Spurs will receive from having both players back. Van de Ven is arguably their best defender, and his speed will be crucial for them as they attempt to keep Arsenal at bay.
Solanke is their record signing, but whilst he has never beaten Arsenal or even scored against them, he will still provide a lot of danger in the air, and centre-backs William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes will have to be at their best to shut out the home side.
Spurs receiving positive injury news whilst Arsenal could be suffering from a crisis is not ideal preparation, but Arteta will still be confident that his side can secure a third straight victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.