Mikel Arteta provides fitness updates on Arsenal pair William Saliba & Eddie Nketiah

Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta has, on Friday, provided updates on the wellbeing of two sidelined members of his squad.

The Gunners, of course, are currently in the process of putting the finishing touches on preparations for another crucial outing this weekend.

After being held to a 2-2 draw by Liverpool last time out, Arteta and co. are set to make the short trip across London on Sunday afternoon, for a meeting with West Ham United.

Amid ongoing efforts to stave off the challenge of champions Manchester City atop the Premier League table, all associated with Arsenal, in turn, will no doubt be desperate for as many of the club’s stars as possible to be fit and ready to feature from the off at the London Stadium.

Speaking to the media on Friday, the club’s boss was therefore asked for the latest on two members of his squad to have spent the last couple of weeks on the treatment table.

First up came William Saliba, with Arteta having confirmed that, though the Frenchman is making progress in his recovery, he remains unavailable for selection:

‘William [Saliba] is still not available. He’s progressing well and we’re hopeful that we’ll have him available in the next few weeks. We’ll have to see.’

When asked if Saliba has yet returned to the grass, Arsenal’s headmaster added:

‘He’s not far off starting to do that. Obviously we need to be cautious because of the injury but he’s evolving well.’

The news on hitman Nketiah, meanwhile, proved altogether positive, with the England youth international set to mark his return to the matchday setup on Sunday:

‘Eddie is back. He’s fully fit now and he’s back.’

Chelsea vs Brighton: Combined XI

Revealed: Casemiro’s stance on leaving Manchester United amid Juventus links