Arsenal have received a major boost for Saturday’s game against Tottenham as Nacho Monreal is expected to recover from his illness in time to play, according to The Sun.
The newspaper claim that the Gunners expected the left-back to be on the sidelines for several games due to sickness, but the defender has since returned to training ahead of schedule.
The Sun report that Arsene Wenger expects Monreal to be able to start in the north London Derby on Saturday.
Monreal has been impressive for the Gunners this season, making 25 appearances across all competitions.
The report also claims that Arsenal are now hopeful that Petr Cech and Danny Welbeck will also be available to start the game, after previously looking unlikely to feature.
Cech limped off during the Gunners’ 5-1 victory against Everton with a calf injury, but has since responded very well to treatment which means he might make Saturday’s game.
Welbeck is also set to have an outside chance of featuring, as after a recent hip injury kept him out for three weeks, he is expected to return to training on Thursday.
All three being available would be a major boost for Wenger as he knows how important achieving a win against Tottenham on Saturday is.
If the Gunners take all three points from their visit to Wembley, they will then only be a point behind their bitter rivals.
OPINION
This is a very positive update for Arsenal fans, especially where Monreal is concerned. The left-back has put in some good performance as of late and the Gunners have more of a chance of getting a result against Spurs with him in the team. Cech and Welbeck being available is a nice bonus, but Arsenal would still be able to get a result without them. While David Ospina managed to concede against Everton after replacing Cech in the game, he is a good enough goalkeeper to play against Spurs. Also Cech’s recent performances have been less than reassuring. As far as Welbeck is concerned, after scoring only three goals in 16 appearances, he hasn’t shown the ability to be a gamechanger for Arsenal this season.