Mikel Arteta handed dream Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli Arsenal injury return scenario
Latest Arsenal news with Mikel Arteta hoping for a double injury boost to arrive at the perfect time
Mikel Arteta has just potentially seen the dream scenario emerge despite the fact Arsenal's 2024/25 season looked likely to end with a whimper. Ahead of their Champions League last-16 first leg away at PSV on Tuesday, the Gunners had failed to score in three of their last four games which seemingly ended hopes for two trophies.
Last month, Arsenal were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Newcastle United with five points also dropped in the Premier League title race against Liverpool after losing to West Ham United before then drawing to Nottingham Forest.
13 points now separates the two teams, which could see Arteta and Co. place all their focus on the Champions League. Arsenal's first task on the road to Munich in the knockout stages came in the Netherlands against PSV Tuesday and it's fair to say they passed it with flying colours.
Despite not scoring in three of their last four games, Arsenal beat their Dutch opponents 7-1 with Jurrien Timber, Ethan Nwaneri, Martin Odegaard, Mikel Merino, Leandro Trossard and Riccardo Calafiori all on target while Noa Lang was the scorer for PSV.
Considering the last few weeks and the likes of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli missing through injury, that is a score line barely no one have expected. "No [I didn't expect seven goals]," the Arsenal head coach admitted after initially joking he knew that sort of result was coming.
"That's the beauty of it, nobody in this room, if I give you an envelope and say, can you predict what's going to happen tomorrow and who is going to score, that's the beauty of football. In football, and you do very well today, put your head down, be humble, analyse how you can improve.
"Because the next game is going to be completely different to this one, and nobody can write the script, unfortunately, even if we would like to." While there is a second leg to play, it can be safely assumed that Arsenal will be in the quarter-finals and face either Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid.
PSV head to the Emirates Stadium for that clash next Wednesday, four days on from Arsenal's next game which comes in the Premier League away at Manchester United. Another three league games are then on the horizon with home games against Chelsea and Fulham along with a trip to Everton.
A European quarter-final clash then follows that and it could be when Saka and Martinelli return to action. Both forwards have missed varying periods due to hamstring issues, but the duo could be back at the perfect time for Arteta.
While it may not be admitted, winning the Champions League should be the priority and therefore rushing them back for the second leg against PSV or any of those four league games. Given Saka has missed a number of months, there is no guarantee he returns especially as the club will likely be careful managing his return.
Martinelli meanwhile, having missed far less, could easily start that first leg in north London on the week commencing April 7. The second leg at the Bernabeu is scheduled for the following week which could be seen as a more realistic match for Saka to make his starting return in after several few weeks of full team training.