Arsenal injury news and return dates as Arteta reveals Saka 'scan' truth before Sporting clash

Mikel Arteta has provided an injury update on Bukayo Saka ahead of Arsenal's clash against Sporting CP. The Portuguese outfit will lock horns with the Gunners at the Jose Alvalade Stadium on Tuesday night as both sides hope to climb the Champions League table.

Arsenal enjoyed 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest in the Premier League at the weekend, meanwhile, Sporting stormed past Amarante to book themselves a place in the Taça de Portugal fifth round. Speaking to reporters after Saturday's game, Arteta was quizzed on Saka's fitness.

The 23-year-old winger pulled out of the England squad during the international break due to injury. Responding to those who doubted whether Saka was carrying a knock, the Arsenal boss said: "Well we can send an MRI scan, it's very simple.

"That's a communication that was very clear between the medical staff of Arsenal and the England national team. He hasn't done anything, he was away and needed time to heal. He's done one training session. "

So, with that being said, football.london has rounded up all the latest Arsenal injury news and return dates.

Ben White

Ben White underwent a minor procedure earlier this month to resolve a joint problem that had been causing him problems, football.london understands. Speaking to reporters on Friday, Arteta confirmed that the defender is going to be ruled out for 'months'.

"Ben is gonna be out for months, unfortunately," said the Arsenal boss. "It's been different kinds of struggles. It's never been the same thing. We had to make a decision. It's not been improving in the last few weeks unfortunately.

"We know that Ben is going to push every boundary but it got to a point where we have to protect the player and we decided to do the surgery. He agreed with that and unfortunately that's going to keep him out for a few months."

When pushed for an exact timeframe on White's absence, Arteta replied: "I don't know at the moment. We have to see how he reacts post-surgery. I don't expect him to be half a year, but I cannot tell you exactly."

Potential return date: Early 2025

Kieran Tierney

Kieran Tierney suffered a hamstring injury at the European Championships in the summer. When asked for an update on the defender's progress, Arteta said: "Kieran not yet. He had a couple of sessions with the team, but not ready yet."

Potential return date: December/January

Takehiro Tomiyasu

Takehiro Tomiyasu remains out of action with a knee injury. The defender missed the large majority of last season with a calf problem and he's played just six minutes this term. On Friday, Arteta said: "Tomiyasu is going to be out as well for a period."

Potential return date: Unknown

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