Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has admitted that his side have missed Willian.
The Brazilian winger picked up an injury in the defeat away to Manchester City a couple of weeks ago and sat out Arsenal’s following two games.
But Arteta’s side welcomed the summer signing back on Thursday for the 3-0 win over Dundalk in the Europa League.
And the Arsenal boss has conceded that his absence in and around the squad has been felt.
He said to Goal.com: “We missed Willian the last couple of weeks, he had a very short pre-season. He needs that bit of rhythm. He looked good [against Dundalk], great to get some minutes in his legs.”
Arsenal go to Manchester United tomorrow and it’ll be interesting to see whether Willian plays.
The former Chelsea attacker often found some form in time for the big occasion during his seven-year stint at Stamford Bridge and the North Londoners certainly need a bit of inspiration from somewhere.
Prior to Thursday’s win, Arsenal had only scored four goals in their previous six games across all competitions.
And worryingly, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s form seems to have tailed off in a major way.
Willian, who signed on a free contract last summer for £220,000 per week, can be a creative outlet for Arteta’s side and it’ll be fascinating to see whether his return coincides with a return to form for Aubameyang.
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