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6 players to miss Atletico Madrid vs Arsenal as double boost emerges after Jurrien Timber update
Arsenal face Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday, with injury boosts for both teams confirmed on Tuesday
View 2 ImagesHaving been forced off against Newcastle United this past weekend, Kai Havertz was also not present at London Colney, which suggests he will join Timber in missing out. There is, however, optimism that he will play again at some point this season.
Mikel Arteta was handed at least one injury boost from Tuesday's session with Eberechi Eze, who was also taken off on Saturday, featuring. Riccardo Calafioriwas also spotted with the group after just missing out on a return to the fold over the weekend.
Bukayo Saka was another key Arsenal star in training after returning from a four-week injury lay-off in the win over Newcastle. Speaking on his nine-minute cameo, Arteta said: "I think he has some very good impact as well in the minutes that he's played.
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"He's back, I think he looks sharp, he looks good, he looks fresh. You certainly notice something different in the team, in the stadium as well, when he comes in, so we certainly need that."
Mikel Merino is not quite ready for outdoor training yet as he continues to recover from the foot surgery he underwent in February.
Atletico Madrid, meanwhile, have been sweating on several major injury concerns over the last few weeks. Julian Alvarez was the big one, but he returned to Diego Simeone's squad as an unused substitute for Saturday's 3-2 win over Athletic Club.
When asked about his fitness on Monday, Alvarez replied: "I'm at 100 per cent." Alexander Sorloth featured in that victory and scored twice, having avoided a fitness scare late into that game after overcoming an issue picked up earlier this month.
Ademola Lookman was a major doubt for the first leg, having missed his side's last two games. However, he was captured in Atletico training on Tuesday morning, which suggests he will be able to feature in some capacity.
View 2 ImagesDavid Hancko was back in light training last week but missed his side's La Liga triumph as he continues to build up fitness.
Pablo Barrios has been ruled out of the Arsenal match due to an issue suffered over the weekend. Jose Gimenez could join him in missing out entirely, having not played for Atletico since the start of the month.
The big news for Atletico is that all of Alvarez, Sorloth and Lookman are in a position to feature with the Spanish club likely needing to take a lead into the second leg, having lost 4-0 at Emirates Stadium earlier in the competition.
Alvarez could well see the two legs as a transfer audition with Arsenal among the clubs interested in a transfer. When asked about the Argentine's future on Tuesday, Simeone said: “I’m not in Julian Alvarez’s head. I suppose that’s just normal.
"He is an extraordinary player. There’s interest from Arsenal, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and other teams. But there is nothing to be concerned about.”
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