Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has issued fresh updates on the fitness of several players as the club prepares for Sunday’s Premier League showdown with Tottenham Hotspur.
The Gunners head into the weekend sitting four points clear at the top of the table and will be aiming to extend their lead when they welcome their rivals to the Emirates Stadium. However, a number of first-team stars remain fitness doubts for the high-stakes encounter.
Arteta revealed that defender Riccardo Calafiori is yet to take part in full training after withdrawing from Italy’s recent international fixtures.
On the defender’s condition, Arteta explained: “He missed the [Italy] games. He wasn’t available. He’s been carrying a few things. We had to bring him back. He hasn’t trained yet. We have another session tomorrow. Let’s see.”
The Arsenal boss also addressed the situations of Martin Ødegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, Viktor Gyökeres, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus and Noni Madueke, noting that the medical team worked intensively during the international break to speed up their recoveries.
Arteta said: “We put a lot of energy in the international break with the medical staff to try to bring them back as quickly as possible. Tomorrow we have another training session to see how they are feeling, if this game is too close or they can have a contribution in the game.”
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