Mikel Arteta confirms £61m Arsenal duo are fit after "niggles", poised to start vs Leeds
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that William Saliba and Jurrien Timber are available for selection against Leeds United in the Premier League on Saturday.
The Gunners are presently on a three-match winless league run. They suffered a disappointing 3-2 defeat to Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium last weekend.
Arteta will want a strong response against Leeds at Elland Road, and ahead of the game, the Spaniard has provided some good news on the fitness of two key players.
Saliba and Timber were not in the matchday squad to face Kairat Almaty in the Champions League in midweek after the manager confirmed that they had ‘niggles’.
Speaking in today’s presser, Arteta revealed that the defensive duo are fine and their absence from the Kairat game offered the perfect opportunity to ‘refresh them’.
He said: “They are OK, obviously they have been playing a lot of minutes. They have been carrying a few niggles. It was a really good opportunity (against Kairat) to offload them a little bit and refresh them.”
Saliba has been a mainstay in the heart of the Gunners’ defence alongside Gabriel Magalhaes. The £27 million signing is poised to be reinstated in the XI tomorrow alongside the Brazilian centre-back.
Timber, who was signed for £34m from Ajax in 2023, has been an undisputed starter at right-back when fit. The Dutchman is likewise expected to return to the starting line-up against the Whites.
Arsenal have a brilliant recent record against Leeds with seven straight wins. Despite this, they face a tricky challenge tomorrow, given that the hosts have proved a difficult opposition to beat lately.
Leeds have lost just one of the previous 10 league games. They have picked up draws against Liverpool (x2) and Manchester United, while also beating Chelsea at Elland Road during this period.
Hence, it won’t be a straightforward contest for the Gunners. Arsenal must improve in the final third, having failed to score a single goal from open play during the last three league matches.
They were also wasteful against Kairat in midweek despite a 3-2 win. The Gunners squandered eight big chances on the night and must be more clinical with their chance conversion to beat Leeds.
Arsenal can temporarily go seven points clear of Manchester City and Aston Villa at the top of the table with a win. It won’t be easy, as Leeds have conceded only 13 league goals (11 games) at home this term.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com
The post Mikel Arteta confirms £61m Arsenal duo are fit after "niggles", poised to start vs Leeds first appeared on ArsenalNews.co.uk.