Mikel Arteta finally receives huge Arsenal injury boost for Sporting CP Champions League clash

Mikel Arteta has received an Arsenal injury boost he has craved since the beginning of the 2024/25 campaign. The Gunners have been hugely impacted by key absences over the last few months with Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori all missing periods of action.

Ben White is the latest to have suffered a major injury blow after the versatile defender underwent a minor procedure during the November international break. Unfortunately for Arsenal, his recovery period will not be short with Arteta revealing he will be out for months.

"It's been different kinds of struggles," Arteta said when asked about White. "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 a 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. 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." Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney have also been absent with Arteta providing the latest on the duo's condition.

"Kieran not yet," the Arsenal boss revealed. "He had a couple of sessions with the team, but not ready yet. Tomiyasu is going to be out as well for a period." There were fitness concerns over Declan Rice but he made the bench for the clash against Forest with White, Tomiyasu and Tierney the only major absentees.

That fact was reinforced by what was on show in Arsenal's open training session at London Colney with Tomiyasu and White as the only noticeable stars missing. As such, for arguably the first time all season, Arteta has not been handed a fresh injury concern.

In a number of games this season, Saka has left the field in discomfort with Calafiori, Timber and Gabriel Magalhaes among those to have been dealt a similar fate. Though there are some absences in his squad, Arteta finally has a number of big team selection decisions to make.

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