Mikel Arteta has been handed a huge injury boost ahead of Arsenal’s Champions League clash against FC Porto. The Gunners will take on the Portuguese side in the first leg of the round of 16 on Wednesday night, with the second leg set to be played at Emirates Stadium on March 12.
With Arsenal due to fly to Portugal on Tuesday evening, Arteta had the opportunity to put his players through their paces at the Sobha Realty Training Centre on Tuesday morning.Thomas Partey and Fabio Vieira were in attendance. There was no sign of Gabriel Jesus, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Oleksandr Zinchenko, however.
Partey, Vieira, Jesus, Tomiyasu and Zinchenko missed Arsenal’s 5-0 win over Burnley at the weekend. Arteta said before the fixture that Partey had already been training on the grass, while Vieira was said to be “very close”.
“Thomas Partey as well is progressing really well,” Arteta said before the clash with Burnley. “I don’t want to say too much but he’s looking very good and he’s on the field already.”
“Thomas Partey as well is progressing really well,” Arteta said before the clash with Burnley. “I don’t want to say too much but he’s looking very good and he’s on the field already.”
He added of Vieira: “He’s very close. He’s been training already for a few days with the team. So I think it’s very close. He’ll be back probably faster than we expected and he’s in a good place.”