February 10, (THEWILL) – Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that midfielder, Emile Smith Rowe and striker, Gabriel Jesus, are making progress in their recoveries from injury.
Smith Rowe has been out for most of the season with groin and thigh injuries, while Jesus has played a key role in the team’s success earlier in the campaign. Arteta confirmed that both players are among a group of injured players that have returned to light training, but will not be available for the weekend’s match against Brentford.
At a presser ahead of Saturday’s match at Emirates Stadium, Arteta said: “The ones that were [out for a] long time, like Emile, Reiss [Nelson] and Gabi [Jesus], they are closer. They started to do some work outside, but they are not ready to contribute yet.”
The Gunners’ manager added that he wants to respect the timeline and process of the players’ recoveries and not rush them back into action.
Arteta also addressed the recent English Premier League referral of title rivals Manchester City to an independent commission for alleged financial regulation breaches. The manager, who previously worked at City under Pep Guardiola, said he did not see anything untoward while at the club and that his team’s focus was solely on Brentford.
Arteta also spoke positively about young striker Folarin Balogun, who is currently enjoying a successful loan spell in Ligue 1 with Reims. The manager expressed his happiness for the player and praised his clear career vision and bravery.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
