Arsenal latest: Title race 'key' identified as injury update threatens selection dilemma

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Arsenal return to Premier League action against Bournemouth on Saturday as Mikel Arteta faces selection decisions

Following a dramatic late victory in Lisbon on Tuesday evening, Arsenal will shift their focus back to domestic matters when Bournemouth visit the Emirates Stadium on Saturday. Mikel Arteta welcomed several players back into the fold for the triumph over Sporting CP and may now face selection headaches during the crucial run-in.

Kai Havertz made a decisive impact from the substitutes' bench in midweek and he's far from the only player staking a claim for a starting berth against the Cherries. Teenage prodigy Max Dowman has already demonstrated his capability against Premier League opposition and there was considerable demand for increased involvement even before his latest European cameo.

Following this weekend's fixture, Arsenal will welcome Sporting to North London for the return leg of their European encounter. The Gunners have been thwarted in their efforts to win a domestic cup this term but they remain frontrunners in the league title race and can all but guarantee top spot if they can beat Bournemouth and then overcome nearest challengers Manchester City on April 19.

Arteta will want to get his selections right for those pivotal matches and has plenty of options to cycle through. Here are our latest Arsenal lines.

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Ferdinand gives Arteta advice on Dowman

Rio Ferdinand believes Max Dowman could prove pivotal for Arsenal in the title race despite his tender age. The 16 year old made a significant impact during the recent victory over Everton, in which he scored his first ever Premier League goal, and Ferdinand has suggested he could benefit from having played no part in recent title failures.

"He could be the key to Mikel Arteta getting Arsenal over the line, I think he's that good," the former England centre-back said on Rio Ferdinand Presents. "He's not got the mental scars that the other players have because of what they've gone through in previous seasons.

"You might need someone like him to lean on and tell him to be fearless and help us through it without giving him too much responsibility. He could be a massive key for Arsenal in that sense."

Eze could be back ahead of schedule

Ebere Eze appears set for an earlier-than-expected comeback for Arsenal. The England midfielder hasn't featured since mid-March, when he found the net in a 2-0 Champions League victory over Bayer Leverkusen.

Original assessments indicated Eze faced up to six weeks on the sidelines with a calf problem, with the playmaker pulling out of the England squad for the March international break. He has resumed training, though, raising the possibility he may even feature this weekend.

The £68m man's availability could present manager Arteta with team selection dilemmas between now and May. It may be a different story with Martin Odegaard, though, with the captain absent from training to leave the boss sweating.