Ahead of the Premier League game against Newcastle United this weekend, Arsenal have been handed an injury boost with the return of 3 players.
The club have officially confirmed that the trio of Reiss Nelson, Sead Kolasinac and Bukayo Saka are available for selection when the Gunners return to action after a winter break that saw them travel to Dubai.
Kolasinac suffered a left thigh strain in the 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace and hasn’t featured since. Nelson’s last appearance was also at Selhurst Park after which he suffered a hamstring injury in training.
Saka who has been a regular feature in the first team over the past few weeks went off at half-time in the North London club’s last game against Burnley with a suspected knee injury.
The return of Sead Kolasinac was, in particular, is an important bit of news for the team as he is the first choice left-back now that Kieran Tierney is out injured. Though Bukayo Saka has filled in for him in an admirable manner, it would be better off for the manager to have a specialist player in that position.
Saka’s injury against Burnley meant that the Emirates club did not have a left-back and had to use Granit Xhaka there to cover for him. This prevented the team from having a sense of urgency when they were building their attacks.
Mikel Arteta will want the club to get back to winning ways and the trip to Newcastle will present a good opportunity to start off on the right note after the winter break.
A win is essential because Arsenal need to start challenging for a potential Champions League spot. And with so many teams fighting to make it to that 4th place, there is no excuse for not winning games.
The North London club are still unbeaten in 2020 but there have been too many draws. With the return of these 3 players, both the manager and fans will be hoping that the fortunes of the team can turn for the better. Newcastle will pose a threat but the Gunners should feel confident that they can get a win.
