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Mikel Arteta has issued injury updates on three Arsenal players before Sunday's Premier League clash against Chelsea
Arsenal are back in Premier League action this weekend with Chelsea as the visitors to Emirates Stadium. Last Sunday's win over Tottenham saw the Gunners restore their five-point gap over Manchester City at the top of the table.
Mikel Arteta's side were under pressure to pick up maximum points in the North London Derby having drawn their last two away games, with City also beating Newcastle United 24 hours earlier. The leaders are again playing after their title rivals with a trip to Leeds United for Pep Guardiola's side on Saturday evening.
Injuries for both teams are likely to play a role in deciding where the silverware heads in May, with Arsenal's situation improving of late. Mikel Merino is the only guaranteed absentee for the weekend and beyond, with a tense wait facing for Kai Havertz and Ben White.
Arteta welcomed Max Dowman back into training last week, with the academy sensation absent since early December due to an ankle injury. The Arsenal boss subsequently offered a definitive update on his return to action.
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With all of that being said, football.london has rounded up the latest updates on Arsenal's injured stars and their potential return dates.
Kai Havertz
Havertz has missed the last four Arsenal games with a hamstring injury but is in contention to return over the coming days.
What Arteta has said: "We're waiting for tomorrow [Saturday], as well as the last training session, to understand whether we have one or two available from last week. Kai will train tomorrow and then let's see."
Possible return date: Brighton (A) - March 4
Ben White
White was absent from the matchday squad against Spurs due to injury. It is unclear when he may return but Arteta's comments suggest that it could be soon.
What Arteta has said: "We're waiting for tomorrow, as well as the last training session, to understand whether we have one or two available from last week."
Possible return date: Brighton (A) - March 4
Max Dowman
Ahead of the Tottenham fixture, Dowman was spotted back in first-team training at London Colney. Having missed over two months, a steady re-integration is likely with a return to the senior squad for the FA Cup fifth round likely the route taken, assuming he gets through Friday's Under-21s game.
What Arteta has said: "Max will play some minutes tonight with the Under-21s."
Mikel Merino
Following surgery on a fracture in his foot, Merino is expected to miss a few months and may not be back before the end of the season.
What Arteta has said: "Well, I think the doctors were really happy the way it went. Yeah, now it starts. Obviously, it's a long process.
"You're talking about bone healing, so you need to be patient. You respect the timings, and I'm sure Mikel is going to do everything that he possibly can to speed up the process. We're talking about months, whether it's three, four or five, we don't know."
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