Mikel Arteta has provided an update on the fitness of Arsenal du Gabriel Jesus and Jurrien Timber, ahead of the club’s clash with Sheffield United on Monday night.
Arsenal look to continue their Premier League title challenge with a trip to face the relegation-threatened Blades at Bramall Lane, with the Gunners seeking a seventh consecutive league win.
The north Londoners have been handed a boost with Gabriel Jesus fit to feature, as the Brazilian makes his latest return from a series of setbacks this season.
Jesus was an unused substitute for the win over Newcastle last weekend and Arteta said Arsenal are keen to ease the forward back into action.
“Gabriel is fit enough. How long he will last that’s very different. We didn’t want to take any risks. We need him fit and now we want to make sure we load him in the right way,” he said at his pre-match press conference.
On whether Jesus’ rehabilitation work had gone to plan, Arteta added: “No it didn’t happen and the result was he got a knock in the another area that caused a different type of injury. It wasn’t related to the first one. Then he had a niggle which was a muscle issue which kept him for 10 days out.”
Arteta also spoken on Jurrien Timber, who has not featured since sustaining an ACL injury on the opening weekend of the Premier League season. The Spaniard praised the defender for his attitude to recovery and admits the summer signing has been a big miss.
“Jurrien is still not close enough. He has been a joy. The medical staff and physios are happy with his attitude and the way things have gone. The way he applies himself. He is determined and willing to put every effort in.
“He’s in a really good place and now we have to manage the last bit of a difficult and complicated injury. We have missed his leadership, his versatility to play in different positions, the spaces he can occupy. You could tell he was fitting and he’s been a big miss.”
