Arsenal handed boost for Crystal Palace as Arteta ponders over four exits
Oleksandr Zinchenko is ready to give Arsenal a major boost by returning for Monday's trip to Crystal Palace.
The Ukraine left back has been struggling with a calf injury since the end of last season but has returned to full training in the past two days. Zinchenko, 26, is now finally on the way back and could start at Selhurst Park which is a major lift for Arsenal after losing new signing Jurrien Timber to a cruciate knee ligament injury.
Gunners defender Zinchenko suffered with fitness issues last season as he also struggled to complete games so they have managed his recovery carefully. Zinchenko looks favourite to start as an inverted left-back which is where he excelled last term and is also one of the most influential players in the dressing room.
Manager Mikel Arteta confirmed ahead of the game: "Alex is doing very well, he's been training with us and hopefully we're going to have him available very, very soon."
Arsenal are already without Timber for much of the season while there is no return date for Gabriel Jesus. But the return of Zinchenko may mean Arsenal do not need to bring in extra cover as they are also determined to resist interest in Brazil defender Gabriel from Saudi Arabia.
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Kieran Tierney trained with the other squad players at London Colney last Saturday when Arsenal played Nottingham Forest. Real Sociedad are keen on Tierney while Newcastle have been linked with him all summer but now the Spanish club look favourites.
Have your say! Will Arsenal beat Crystal Palace? Give us your score prediction in the comments section.
Oleksandr Zincheko is poised to return for Arsenal on Monday (GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)When asked if Timber's injury will provide an opportunity for the Scottish full-back, Arteta replied: "It's an opportunity for everybody. We're going to need everybody, and everybody is going to be important. The numbers that we have in the squad, especially in those positions are more limited now, so everybody has to be ready."
Asked whether it changes his approach to the transfer market, the Gunners boss added: "I am more thinking about the resources that we have within the team to keep doing what we want to do. It's true that he was giving us very different things in terms of what we could do on both sides, but again, these things happen, and we have to be prepared for that."
Nottingham Forest are keen on Nuno Tavares with West Ham also interested. Arsenal want £40million for Folarin Balogun while Besiktas have shown interest in Rob Holding.
Quizzed on whether he's satisfied with his current defensive options, Arteta also said during his pre-match press conference: "We didn't plan for this injury so we have to assess now what the options are and the best way to get the best out of the players.
"I cannot control anything that is not here. We are always open and we have to always be open to react if something happens, not only with an injury but with the market as well and that's what we are doing."
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