Arsenal secured a vital three points on Sunday afternoon, defeating Fulham 3-0 at Craven Cottage thanks to first-half finishes from Gabriel Magalhaes, Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard.
That result restored their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League table after second-placed Manchester City had grinded out a narrow 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace the day before. The north Londoners' victory in west London means that a win against Palace on Sunday would see them go eight clear of the Citizens, who don't play in the league this weekend due to their involvement in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
Star striker Gabriel Jesus also made his highly-anticipated return to action after finding himself on the treatment table for over three months due to a knee injury that he sustained during Brazil's World Cup campaign in Qatar. Next up for the Gunners is the second leg of their UEFA Europa League clash against Sporting CP, with the aggregate scoreline currently poised at 2-2 after a thrilling first leg in Lisbon.
Ahead of the match in N5, football.london has rounded up all the latest news on every Arsenal player dealing with injury issues.
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Gabriel Jesus
The striker is finally back. Having suffered medial ligament damage whilst playing for Brazil against Cameroon in the World Cup group stages, Jesus returned to the pitch on Sunday.
It was expected that the Brazilian maybe wouldn't return until next week or after the international break, but the 25-year-old clocked-up 15 minutes of action in a much-welcomed boost.
More time is needed for him to recover to full fitness, but the fact that he's back on the field and part of Arteta's squad is vital for the remainder of the season.
What Arteta has said: "Big boost. The first step today. We didn’t know if it was the right game today. He said to me a few days ago ‘I’m still missing something.’ Yesterday I looked in his eyes and he said ‘I’m ready’. I said ‘OK!’ So then we had the opportunity to throw him in. It’s that first step to give him the big boost. He looks free, he looks ready and straight away he generated those two big chances. It’s great to have him back."
Eddie Nketiah
Eddie Nketiah had found himself on the bench for recent wins over Leicester and Everton following a slight drop in form. Arsenal boss Arteta then confirmed after his substitute appearance against the Toffees that the young striker had suffered with a slight injury concern.
Arsenal then decided not to bring the Hale End academy graduate to Lisbon. He was also not on the bench against Fulham.
On Monday, Nketiah took to social media to give a cryptic update on his current rehabilitation progress. Writing on Instagram, he said: "Step by step (egg time emoji) (flexing arm emoji)."
What Arteta has said: "We are assessing him," the Spaniard said in his pre-match press conference. "It's a bit uncertain what will happen with him to be honest in the training sessions.
"Let’s see, let’s keep the options open. He’s very positive about it and hopefully he’ll be fine."
Expected return date: N/A
Mohamed Elneny
Elneny started in the FA Cup win over Oxford United and played the whole 90 minutes. However, the Egyptian was absent for Arteta's squad for the 2-0 win at Tottenham, with a knee issue picked up in training ahead of the clash being assessed. Additionally, there was no place on the bench to face Manchester United.
A club statement last month then confirmed that the former Basel man will be out for an extended period of time, although no timescale was given on his expected return. Elneny has since penned a new deal at Arsenal as he closes in on a return.
Expected return date: N/A
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