Mikel Arteta has revealed Eddie Nketiah is still wearing a protective boot after damaging his ankle and faces ‘a big challenge’ to regain his fitness.
The striker has missed Arsenal’s last three matches and will miss Thursday night’s Europa League last-16 second leg against Sporting.
Nketiah impressed as Arsenal’s No 9, in the absence of Gabriel Jesus, after Christmas. But he now faces a few more weeks on the sidelines.
‘He’s getting better. He’s still in the boot. He’s still a few weeks away and we need to be patient,’ Arteta said.
‘It was a nasty injury and he has a big challenge ahead of him. Thank God it could have been worse. So he’s not in a bad place.’
Fortunately for Arsenal, Jesus is nearing full fitness after knee surgery. He returned against Fulham on the weekend and could make his first start against Sporting.
‘It was great to see him back you can feel the happiness of everyone, the players and the staff around him. We missed him and now he’s back,’ Arteta said.
‘We have to manage his minutes, his involvement in the squad and the team. He’s feeling good and every day he’s training he says his sensations are better and better, so that’s really positive.’
The Arsenal boss, whose side lead the Premier League lead by five points from Manchester City, insists the Europa League is not a distraction.
The Gunners haven’t played a European knockout game in front of their fans since 2020.
‘Hopefully we will build a big atmosphere and enjoy with our supporters against a really good team that is going to put a big challenge in front of us,’ Arteta added.
