Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Bukayo Saka is set to be included in the Arsenal squad for their home game against Newcastle, alongside Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber. The Gunners have been without their talisman for the last few weeks due to an Achilles injury, with Saka's last appearance coming in the Carabao Cup final defeat against Manchester City. However, the 24-year-old is now on the cusp of a return to action as Arsenal and Manchester City gear up for the title run-in.
Arteta's Update on Saka and Others
When asked for an update on the England star in his pre-match press conference, Arteta said: "No [issues]. Bukayo is probably going to be in the squad. So good news. Riccardo [Calafiori] in the squad, Jurrien [Timber] as well."
Saka has not been alone on the sidelines, with other key figures missing recent games. Those include Arteta's first-choice full-backs in Timber and Calafiori, while Mikel Merino has been a long-term absentee after suffering a stress fracture in his foot back at the end of January.
Boost for Arsenal's Title Hopes
The prospect of Saka and others returning to the fold sooner rather than later will be a huge boost for Arsenal following a challenging week which saw them relinquish their spot at the top of the Premier League to Manchester City on goals scored. Pep Guardiola's men are now ahead by the thinnest of margins after beating the Gunners 2-1 last weekend before following that up with another win over Burnley on Wednesday night.
Arsenal have the opportunity to nudge back ahead of City this weekend with their title rivals playing against Southampton in the FA Cup semi-finals.
Upcoming Fixtures for Arsenal
Following their home match with Newcastle, the Gunners have a Champions League semi-final with Atletico Madrid to look forward to, with a home game against Fulham sandwiched in between those two games. They then face a trip to West Ham and a home game with already relegated Burnley before travelling to Crystal Palace on the final day.
