Arsenal travel to the King Power Stadium on Saturday to take on Leicester City in a huge Premier League clash.
Mikel Arteta's side currently sit at the top of the table, two points clear of second-placed Manchester City despite having played one less match than the Citizens this term. The Gunners defeated Aston Villa 4-2 last time out in what was a hugely entertaining clash at Villa Park that saw the away team snatch all three points at the death thanks to two injury-time goals.
Next up for the north Londoners is a game against Leicester, who lost 3-0 to Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon. Ahead of the highly-anticipated match, Arteta has been putting his side through their paces in training and now football.london has noted three things we spotted during Thursday's session at London Colney.
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Saka back
Bukayo Saka was kicked constantly during the aforementioned victory against Villa. The Hale End academy graduate was limping off and on at Villa Park, leading to a plethora of Gunners supporters urging referees to offer better protection for their star player in the coming fixtures.
Saka also wasn't involved in training on Monday, but that is due to having a day off for further recovery rather than a serious injury concern. Thankfully, the 21-year-old was captured during Thursday's session looking as focused as ever alongside manager Arteta.
No Partey
Arsenal have been without midfielder general Thomas Partey in each of their last two outings following a minor muscle injury that was sustained ahead of last Wednesday's 3-1 defeat to Manchester City. It is currently unclear how long the Ghana international will be sidelined for but his issue isn't thought to be too serious.
Still, the 29-year-old wasn't captured in the latest collection of images, something that likely means he won't be available on Saturday barring a last-minute miracle.
Vieira time?
Talented midfielder Fabio Vieira has started just one Premier League match since joining from Porto last summer. Swiss captain Granit Xhaka has performed admirably as the Gunners' left-sided No.8 this term, starting every single league game.
However, his form has dipped in recent weeks while Vieira has looked like a bright spark off the bench, assisting his side's fourth goal during the win against Villa. Perhaps this weekend is the perfect time for the 22-year-old, who was pictured delicately caressing the ball with a pass, to replace Xhaka in Arsenal's starting XI.
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