Arsenal defender Ben White hopes to be available for Thursday’s crunch north London derby against Tottenham.
The England centre-back has been out for two-and-a-half weeks with a hamstring injury but Arsenal will give him as much time as possible to prove his fitness.
White is desperate to play against Tottenham as Arsenal bid to secure a place in the Champions League next season.
He was due to be assessed by the Arsenal medical staff on Wednesday before a final decision is taken on his involvement at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
His availability would give Mikel Arteta greater flexibility in defence. Rob Holding has filled in for White in the past two games but without him the Gunners may struggle to field a back three against Tottenham.
Arsenal matched Chelsea’s 3-4-3 formation in their 4-2 win at Stamford Bridge last month and they could do the same at Spurs instead of playing in their usual 4-3-3 system.
If White is not passed fit, Takehiro Tomiyasu is an alternative option to play in a three-man defence, having featured at centre-back before.
