Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta could soon have a clean bill of health with the club confirming that Dani Ceballos and Pablo Mari are nearing first-team returns.
Ceballos missed Arsenal’s 3-0 Premier League win over Newcastle last Monday due to a tight calf but the injury is not deemed significant and he will be assessed across the remainder of the week.
That could place the Spaniard in contention to start the FA Cup fourth round tie against Southampton on Saturday, although the early kick-off time could lead Arteta to err on the side of caution.
That tie, and the subsequent Premier League game against Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side on Tuesday, will come too soon for centre-back Mari, however, with Ceballos’ countryman also recovering from a calf injury which has kept him out of the Gunners last two matches.
Arteta admitted Mari would be absent for “a few matches” with David Luiz taking his place alongside Rob Holding in the heart of defence.
But Mari is now being pencilled in to return to training next week and, theoretically, could then be involved for the Manchester United game on Saturday, January 30.
Given Arsenal have recorded five straight clean sheets, that would present Arteta with an intriguing dilemma as to who he may select for that encounter.
Mari, Holding and Luiz have all been in impressive form over the last four weeks while Gabriel has now been given the all-clear following a positive Covid-19 test with the Brazilian among Arsenal’s success stories in 2020/21.
