(Reuters) – Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said he hopes to have wingers Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli back from injury when they host Fulham on April 1 after the club’s misfiring attack cost them more points in the Premier League title race on Wednesday.
Saka and Martinelli are still recovering from hamstring issues, while injured forwards Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz are out for the season.
Arsenal’s makeshift attack struggled to make any impact in their shock 1-0 home loss to West Ham United on Saturday and they were held to a goalless draw at third-placed Nottingham Forest on Wednesday.
Arteta said that even if Saka and Martinelli return for Arsenal’s first match after the international break the pair would need to be closely monitored.
“I think so, but again let’s see how they evolve in the next few weeks to make the right steps,” he told reporters.
“After that, they’ve been out for a long, long time, so we’re going to have to integrate them as well gradually. They are evolving well but they’re still a bit far.
“We have a meeting tomorrow to discuss where they are, especially Gabi, who probably has a chance before Bukayo to come in, but how soon that is, we’ll have to see how it evolves in the next week or 10 days.”
Arsenal remain second after the draw at Forest but have fallen 13 points behind leaders Liverpool.
Arteta will now turn his attention to PSV Eindhoven for the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie on Tuesday and must quickly find a solution for their goal-scoring woes.
“We have another day or two now to think before the PSV game, all the options that we have especially against a team that is in a low block,” Arteta said.
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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