Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has provided an injury update on key players Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, and Jurrien Timber ahead of the upcoming Champions League clash against Shakhtar Donetsk. All three players missed the team’s disappointing 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth over the weekend, which left Arsenal four points behind Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table.
Saka was eager to participate in Saturday’s match but was ultimately not risked due to a slight hamstring injury sustained during international duty with England. Meanwhile, Odegaard has been sidelined since suffering an ankle injury while playing for Norway last month. Timber, who picked up a muscular injury during Arsenal’s last Champions League outing against Paris Saint-Germain, has also missed the past two games.
As Arsenal prepares for the crucial European fixture, they currently sit on four points from their opening two matches in the new eight-match league stage, following a draw with Atalanta and a strong home victory over PSG.
Addressing the media on Monday, Arteta shared the latest on the fitness of Saka, Odegaard, and Timber. “They are closer. They are both progressing really well,” Arteta stated when asked about Saka and Odegaard. However, he noted that “Martin is still not fit. Let’s see how Bukayo is after the training session later on.”
Regarding Timber, Arteta commented, “He’s going to be close. We have to see how he deals with training with the whole group. It was a muscular injury.”
The defeat against Bournemouth marked Arsenal’s first competitive loss since a 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League last April. Arteta remains optimistic about the team’s chances moving forward, emphasizing the importance of quickly bouncing back with another fixture on the horizon. “We have to start tomorrow,” he remarked. “The desire is there. We are desperate to play this kind of match. The atmosphere will be terrific tomorrow night, so let’s produce that and earn the right to win the game.”