Mikel Arteta has eased fears of a lengthy absence for Raheem Sterling, who has been battling a knee injury.
Sterling went down in training around the same time as fellow winger Bukayo Saka suffered a hamstring injury which the boss revealed will keep him out of action for at least two months, sparking concerns over the options available to Arteta.
While the news on Saka’s injury was overwhelmingly negative, there was some optimism surrounding Sterling’s condition.
“The news with Raz I think is better,” Arteta told the media. “We probably expected the knee injury to take longer than it has evolved in the last few days.
“Hopefully that’s good news, because we need him.”
Sterling’s impending return to fitness will boost Arteta’s attempts to cope without Saka. It was Gabriel Martinelli who started on the right in Friday’s 1-0 win over Ipswich Town, but he failed to catch the eye in an attacking trio which also included Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard.
After the game, Arteta backed his squad to successfully cope without Saka, and the good news on Sterling’s condition will only boost their efforts.