Prior to Thursday night's Europa League match against FC Zurich, Arsenal has received a significant boost. London is aware Bukayo Saka did participate in this afternoon's first-team practice.
When the winger hobbled off shortly before the half-hour mark of the Gunners' 5-0 demolition of Nottingham Forest last Saturday, his participation against London Colney was put in doubt. However, Mikel Arteta was quick to dismiss rumors that the 21-year-old would be spending a lot of time on the bench.
"That kick was awful. He was limping from the start, but I don't think it goes any further," the Arsenal boss told reporters after the game. "Let's wait and see how he feels in a few days. Both [foot or ankle] come to mind.
Now that a few days have passed, it was always expected that today's training session would reveal just how serious Saka's injury was; the fact that he trained would imply that he is still in the running to play against Zurich on Thursday night.
In addition, Oleksandr Zinchenko was a welcome sight. The versatile defender hasn't played since the team's 3-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at the start of last month, but he has made great strides toward being ready for selection before the World Cup break.
After missing two months of action with a hamstring injury, Mohamed Elneny made an unexpected appearance in training prior to the Forest encounter.It is unknown if the midfielder will play against Zurich after being left out of the matchday squad owing to a lack of match preparation.
Arteta will be happy to know that he can work with a first-team squad that is nearly at full strength. With Sunday's Premier League match against Chelsea in mind, this is very excellent news, and he will have the opportunity to switch up his lineup for the Europa League final.
Emile Smith Rowe did not train as anticipated because he is not expected to return for another month following groin surgery at the end of September. However, it is highly likely that he will attend Zurich's visit after revealing that he attends every home game to support the team.
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