Mikel Arteta has been handed a huge Arsenal injury boost for the final two games of the 2024/25 season with Kai Havertz spotted back in team training.
The Gunners held an open session at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday and Havertz was among those included. The Germany international has missed the last few months because of a hamstring issue picked up during the club’s warm-weather training camp in Dubai which required surgery to fix.
Arteta hinted he could feature again this season and making a cameo appearance against either Newcastle or Southampton over the next two weekends is entirely possible.
“He’s got a bit more complicated than expected,” Arteta admitted earlier this month. “Thankfully, he’s fine, he’s feeling good, he’s recovering well, but it was a bit more than what we wanted.
“I think so [that he will be back before the end of the season] , if everything goes okay in the next week or so.”
Leandro Trossard and Declan Rice, meanwhile, are understood to have been assessed ahead of the weekend and a decision will follow nearer the clash with both players also present at the media event.
The latter missed the Liverpool clash due to a muscular issue while Trossard pulled up clutching his hamstring during that 2-2 draw at Anfield.
Despite being named in the matchday squad, Jurrien Timber remained an unused substitute with Arteta admitting both he and Rice were unable to play.
“No, we brought him to see if today he was better but he was very clear that he’s not fit to play,” he said in a press conference last Sunday.
In some positive news, Riccardo Calafiori has featured off the bench in Arsenal’s last two games with Jorginho also expected to feature again before he departs at the end of his contract.
Gabriel Magalhaes, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Gabriel Jesus have already been ruled out for the remainder of the season with all three having undergone surgery this year.
Arsenal’s last home game of the season is a big one as they take on Newcastle where a win for the visitors would see them go above the Gunners and into second.
The final game of this campaign then arrives at St Mary’s Stadium against already relegated Southampton.
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