Is Kieran Tierney fit for Arsenal?
Mikel Arteta has revealed that Kieran Tierney has been training ‘like a beast’ in order to make Arsenal’s Europa League clash tomorrow.
It has only been a few weeks since Tierney was issued a potential two-month absence.
Not only did this injury affect Arsenal, but his chances of making Scotland’s Euro 2020 campaign looked in jeopardy too.
But a player and character like the Arsenal left-back was always going to do everything in his power to get fit again as soon as possible.
And Arteta has told a press conference that the former Celtic defender has been putting in a serious shift at London Colney to make Thursday’s Europa League semi-final first leg with Villarreal.
He said via Football London: “He didn’t need the surgery that we were afraid of. He’s been working like a beast every single day. I don’t know if he’s going to make it tomorrow but he certainly wants to be as close as possible.”
Arsenal’s chances of victory go way up if Tierney is available.
But Arteta needs to be very careful. The rookie Spanish manager has rushed players back from injury before – namely Thomas Partey – and saw them break down again in the very same match.
There is no point in Arteta starting the Scot – a £25 million signing in 2019 – unless there’s a reasonable expectation that he’ll not only be able to finish the game, but compete.
Remember, he would be coming up against a certain Samuel Chukwueze, a player good enough to test Tierney even when he is 100 percent fit.
And that prospect alone should be enough to make the Arsenal boss tread very carefully.
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