Arsenal welcome Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard back to training
Declan Rice, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Magalhaes have returned to Arsenal training ahead of their Champions League quarter-final against Sporting CP, though several key players remain absent.
The returning trio were spotted at London Colney on Monday, providing manager Mikel Arteta with a significant mid-week boost.
However, Bukayo Saka, Jurrien Timber, Eberechi Eze and Piero Hincapie were not present during the open session.
Saka and Timber remain sidelined
Timber missed the recent weekend fixtures despite being in contention, suggesting a persistent issue from the international break is still bothering him.
Eze continues to recover from a calf problem, while Arteta has confirmed that the injury sustained by Ecuadorian defender Hincapie is serious.
Meanwhile, the absence of Saka follows months of managing minor physical complaints for the England winger.
Boost for crucial European clash
The availability of Rice and Trossard is a major relief for the north London club as they prepare for a vital first-leg tie against Sporting CP.
Both midfielders withdrew from recent international duty to manage ongoing fitness concerns.
Arteta recently acknowledged that his record signing has been playing through pain to consistently help the team.
“He’s been phenomenal because that’s been going on for a while and the fact that he’s been able to perform and consistently commit to the team in that manner.”
“He talks about how much he wants to play for us and how much he wants to win, and that’s great to see.”
Upcoming domestic challenges
With crucial Premier League fixtures against Bournemouth and Manchester City approaching, the coaching staff will need to carefully manage returning players’ workloads.
William Saliba, who overcame a knee issue after replacing Gabriel during the FA Cup defeat to Southampton, was also out on the grass.
Club captain Martin Odegaard and Martin Zubimendi joined the group session, bolstering the available squad options for a gruelling run of fixtures.
