Mikel Arteta gives triple injury update as Arsenal prepare to face Man City
Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Magalhaes were not involved during the international break
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Your support makes all the difference.Mikel Arteta has revealed Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Magalhaes have not trained ahead of Arsenal’s trip to Premier League champions Manchester City on Sunday, but says there is a “chance” all three will be involved in the potential title decider.
Leaders Arsenal travel to City looking to end a nine-year winless run at the Etihad and claim a result that would go a long way to boosting their hopes of a first Premier League title in 20 years.
Arsenal lost both games to City last season, including a 4-1 defeat at the Etihad in the run-in, but Arteta’s side beat Guardiola’s team earlier this campaign and will take a two-point lead over City into the clash.
Forwards Saka and Martinelli and defender Gabriel were not involved over the international break, with Saka pulling out of England’s squad with a hamstring injury and Martinelli and Gabriel not involved with Brazil due to a foot problem and Achilles issue respectively.
Arteta revealed all three players will be assessed before the trip and said: “There is a chance. They haven’t trained but tomorrow we have another session."
Arsenal have won eight games in a row in the Premier League, scoring 33 goals during that run, and Arteta said he and his side are full of belief as they head to the Etihad.
Last season’s title challenge came crashing to a halt at Manchester City last season, as Pep Guardiola switched up his tactics and Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland ran riot in the 4-1 hammering.
Arteta says his former boss at Manchester City is “the best in the world by a mile” as he looks to take Arsenal a step closer to the Premier League title with what would be his biggest victory in charge of the Gunners yet.
“I have full belief and trust in my players. On the pitch we have to show what we can do, off the pitch it is all just talk,” he said.
“It’s a massive game for both teams because it will give us a massive boost if we win it but there is a lot of games to go after that to win it.
“I have loved working for him and that will remain forever,” Arteta said of Guardiola. “It is what it is, the relationship changes. You don’t feel different about the person but professionally you act differently.
“Probably I would prefer to do it against someone else who I don’t have those feelings for but we both want to win and we compete to do that.”
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