Latest Arsenal injury news as six key players could miss Brentford with Bukayo Saka wait

Arsenal’s 6-0 win over Sheffield United came with both some long-awaited returns and also baited breath. After Gabriel Jesus, Fabio Vieira, and Thomas Partey came from the bench to play their first minutes for some time – each struggling with their own personal fitness battle this season – there was still a huge worry moving forward.

The sight of Bukayo Saka not reemerging for the second half alongside his teammates at Bramall Lane was an immediate cause for concern, whilst those nagging feelings of doubt only grew stronger 20 minutes later when Gabriel Martinelli had to be taken off as well. It was the only negative on yet another day of glory for the Gunners.

They now have the chance to go top of the Premier League. It could be for less than 24 hours, or it could be for the next three weeks and into the international break. The brief opportunity to force their rivals into playing catchup has finally emerged.

Luckily for Mikel Arteta his squad for this defining period of the campaign is growing ever stronger. Saka and Martinelli are both in a position to potentially return immediately, with other previously absent players also moving towards a return.

“We had Martinelli and Bukayo with little issues,” the head coach said on Thursday at the Sobha Realty training ground. “We’re pretty positive that hopefully they can be part of that. But we’ll have to see how they feel.”

In a minor case for added concern, neither player has been seen in images released from training sessions ahead of the game. Then again, Takehiro Tomiyasu also hasn’t been pictured but Arteta was hopeful he would be back. “He’s very close, he’s already doing something on the grass and, hopefully, we’re going to have him very close with us,” was the latest on the full-back.