Arsenal star back in training ahead of schedule
Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah could be in contention to make his return to action at the weekend when the Gunners travel across London to face West Ham in the Premier League.
Nketiah, who was on the verge of leaving Arsenal last summer until signing a new five-year contract less than two weeks before his old one was due to expire, was thrust into becoming a regular starter earlier this season when Gabriel Jesus was sidelined through injury.
Jesus suffered a knee problem at the World Cup with Brazil, leaving Nketiah as the only available ‘number nine’ in the first-team squad.
As a result, he started all of Arsenal’s first nine Premier League games when club football resumed in late December. During that run of games, he scored four times – including a brace in a dramatic 3-2 win over Manchester United in January.
Nketiah lost his place to mid-season signing Leandro Trossard at the end of February, before then succumbing to an ankle injury. In his absence, Trossard has thrived, while Jesus has also returned.
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But even when not starting Premier League games earlier in the season, Nketiah still had a notable role and appeared off the bench in each of the club’s first 12 league outings.
The 23-year-old has missed seven games in all competitions while recovering his fitness, but was seen back in training on Tuesday of this week and will have had up to five days of sessions under his belt before the Gunners head down to the London Stadium, on Sunday.
With Arsenal dropping points late against Liverpool last weekend and now Manchester City breathing down their neck more than ever in the title race, having Nketiah back on the bench will boost Mikel Arteta’s options if he finds his team in need of a goal.
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