The Arsenal boss says four previously-injured players are now ‘ready to play’.
Mikel Arteta has revealed that Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney is getting ‘much closer’ to a comeback.
The former Celtic defender hasn’t kicked a ball under Arteta yet since the Spaniard replaced Unai Emery as the Gunners’ head coach in December.
Tierney was ruled out until March with a shoulder injury at the time and still hasn’t made an appearance under the new Arsenal boss.
But the 22-year-old, a £25 million signing last summer, is back in full training and Arteta told the club’s official website that he’s very close to a return.
He said: “He is much closer. He is evolving really well. He feels fit. He feels confident now. He’s doing the stuff with contact, so hopefully we can have him soon.”
In addition to Tierney, Arteta has also been without Rob Holding, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Reiss Nelson as of late, while Pablo Mari is still waiting for his senior debut following a half-season loan from Flamengo.
But the Spaniard added that all three are ‘ready to play’ ahead of Monday’s trip to Portsmouth in the FA Cup.
He said: “Yes, I think he [Mari] need minutes, like Rob did, like Ainsley and like Reiss as well. I think it was a good game for them to get their fitness levels tested as well and they trained today really well. They are all, I think, ready to play.”
Arsenal go to Fratton Park on the back of a demoralising defeat in the Europa League.
Arteta’s side were sent tumbling out of the competition by Olympiacos on the away-goals rule, despite winning 1-0 in Greece last week.
And the former Manchester City coach will no doubt demand a big response against the League One outfit.
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