Mikel Arteta sweats on Bukayo Saka and Ben White fitness for Chelsea

Arsenal are hopeful that Bukayo Saka and Ben White will be fit to face Chelsea on Sunday as they continue their Premier League title push.

The Gunners re-established a five-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the table with a 4-1 victory against Tottenham last weekend.

However, the north London derby win came at a cost, with Mikel Arteta’s side suffering a fresh injury scare concerning their top scorer.

Saka concern after derby collision

Bukayo Saka was forced off in the second half against Spurs after appearing to suffer an ankle injury.

The England winger went down following an awkward collision late in the game and immediately signalled to the bench for assistance.

Despite receiving lengthy treatment on the pitch, the 22-year-old was able to walk off unaided.

Saka was also observed moving freely during the post-match celebrations, raising optimism that the issue is not serious.

Arteta is expected to provide a definitive update on his talisman’s availability during his pre-match press conference on Friday.

Defensive doubts and returning forwards

Ben White is also a major doubt for the visit of Chelsea after missing the Tottenham fixture completely.

The defender sustained a minor issue in training prior to the match, forcing a reshuffle in the Arsenal backline.

“It was Ben, he had a little niggle yesterday and he couldn’t make the game.”

Mikel Arteta, Arsenal Manager

While the manager did not offer a specific timeline, the club are hopeful White will recover in time for Sunday’s showdown at the Emirates.

Elsewhere, Kai Havertz could be in contention to face his former club after missing the last four matches.

The German international has been sidelined since the victory over Sunderland in early February.

Arsenal medical staff had hoped Havertz would return for the derby, but the fixture came too soon for the forward.

Merino faces long road to recovery

Summer signing Mikel Merino remains absent and is fighting to play again this season following surgery.

The Spanish midfielder suffered a stress fracture in his foot during the defeat by Manchester United in January.

“The timeframes, we’re talking about months – whether it’s three, four or five, we don’t know.”

Mikel Arteta on Mikel Merino

With a Carabao Cup final against Manchester City on the horizon, Arteta will be desperate to get his key stars back to full fitness as the season reaches its climax.