Arsenal begin 2022 with a colossal Premier League clash against Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium on New Year’s Day, and Mikel Arteta may be in line for some good news, as Arsenal have already completed their 2021 schedule.

The Gunners’ 5-0 demolition of Norwich City on Boxing Day was originally scheduled to be their penultimate game of the calendar year.

However, just hours after the victory at Carrow Road, Arsenal’s match against Wolves was postponed due to new COVID-19 cases and injuries in the visitors’ camp.

According to a statement posted on the club’s official website, “We are disappointed to announce that our Premier League match against Wolves on Tuesday, December 28 has been postponed due to a positive COVID-19 test in a number of the Wolves squad members.”

“This game will be rescheduled in due course, and any tickets and/or hospitality packages purchased for the original date will be valid for the rescheduled date.”

As a result, Arsenal’s next match is scheduled for New Year’s Day, when they host Premier League leaders Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners, like Wolves, have reported a number of positive COVID-19 cases in recent weeks and were forced to rest up to four players against Norwich.

Prior to kick-off, it was confirmed that Takehiro Tomiyasu, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, and Cedric Soares had all tested positive for COVID-19, while Calum Chambers was also unable to travel due to his continued self-isolation following his positive test prior to last week’s League Cup match against Sunderland.

Given that the latter was in training as recently as December 20, and in light of the new isolation guidance, he would have been eligible to return against Wolves had his two lateral flow tests been negative.

On December 22, the new self-isolation guidelines took effect, allowing those who test positive for COVID-19 to be quarantined for seven days rather than ten.

However, only if the following criteria are met.

According to a statement on the NHS website, “After 7 days, you can discontinue self-isolation if you perform a rapid lateral flow test on days 6 and 7 of your self-isolation period and:

Both tests returned negative results.

You conducted both tests at least 24 hours apart, indicating that you do not have a fever.

If a rapid lateral flow test is positive on day 6, wait 24 hours before performing the next test.

Despite the period of self-isolation being shortened, the dates that Tomiyasu,

Maitland-Niles and Cedric’s availability for Saturday’s game against Manchester City will be determined by their positive tests.

Due to the fact that Premier League sides are required to conduct polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests the day before a game and the results do not come back until matchday, the only scenario in which any of the aforementioned trio will be allowed to play against Man City is if they pass two negative tests, one on the morning of the game.

Additionally, they must have completed the required seven-day isolation period.

With that said, the good news is that Chambers should be in contention to return to the matchday squad before the end of the calendar year, as his period of self-isolation is set to expire.

Mikel Arteta will not face his former club alone on Saturday afternoon, as an announcement regarding the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will also benefit the Arsenal manager.

Initially, players were required to report for duty 14 days prior to the start of AFCON, but the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced on Sunday that they had agreed to allow footballers to play for their clubs until January 3 before joining their national teams for the tournament, which kicks off on January 9 in Cameroon.

This means that Arteta can call on Thomas Partey, Nicolas Pepe, Mohamed Elneny, and even Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for the champions’ visit.

As a result of the new government guidelines and the AFCON announcement, Arsenal could be at near full strength against Man City on Saturday.