Mikel Arteta hopes to welcome back a number of Arsenal players after the international break, with the Gunners set to host Tottenham in a north London derby
The international break will give nine of Arsenal’s star players, including Victor Gokeres, an additional workload and a chance to recover from injury. Gokeres, 27, has missed the Gunners’ last two games after picking up the injury after scoring in the 2-0 win over Burnley.
The £64 million Arsenal signing will remain in north London and spend time at the club’s training center as he will miss the final two Group Stage games of Sweden’s World Cup qualifiers. Mirror Football understands that Gokeres is one of six players hoping to recover from injury before the Premier League resumes later this month.
Mikel Arteta will have more options when the Gunners host Tottenham in the first north London derby of the season on Sunday, November 23. Like Gokeres, Noni Maduke, who has been out since mid-September, is also aiming to be back in time for the match.
Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli are also expected to be available in the coming weeks as Arsenal prepare for a busy festive period. Additionally, Gabriel Jesus has returned to full training after being sidelined for 10 months with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
The three Arsenal players who were not injured but missed out on international call-ups will also spend the next two weeks training. Kepa Arrizabalaga and Ben White have struggled for some time this season, but Arteta has high hopes for them throughout the season.
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Miles Lewis-Skelly, who played in the last two England internationals, has also not been called up to the national team. Arteta said he would give 19-year-old Lewis Skelly plenty of support after his disappointment as the World Cup approaches.
“Certainly, I think we are here to support each other, to help each other and to take stock of the situation properly. In Miles’ case, if you look at his age and what he has achieved, he is definitely someone to watch,” Arteta said. “So don’t look at what’s happening to you for a second, because maybe it’s happening for the right reason, but you can’t see it today.”
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The Gunners manager was asked to provide an update on Jesus ahead of Saturday’s game against Sunderland. Arteta replied: “I don’t know.” “Right now, it is important to move forward one step at a time in a different environment.
“Obviously, he’s done everything on his own. Now he’s got players around him. He’s got players that are very competitive and we’ll see how he deals with that. But he’s full of energy. I love the reaction of all of his teammates when he first joined us and yeah, it’s really good to have him back.”
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