At 00:30 GMT on October 20, Arsenal will challenge Bournemouth away in the 8th round of the EPL. In the press conference on the eve of the match, Arsenal manager Arteta talked in detail about the team's injuries, players' status and the upcoming match.
On Saka's injury, Arteta said, "He is not badly injured and is recovering well. He has done some recovery training since returning from England and we are hopeful for him. There is a training session this afternoon and we will continue to monitor his recovery to see if he can come back in time."
Arteta also gave a positive response to the situation with Havertz and Martinelli: "Havertz didn't play for Germany because of some problems, but we've made all the adjustments we can. If he trains well today, there's a good chance he'll recover and play. Martinelli only returned yesterday afternoon and we need to further assess his fitness."
For his part, Ödgö is confirmed to be unavailable for this game, but Arteta revealed, "He's in the advanced stages of his recovery and has done a lot. Next week will be crucial to understand the progress of his recovery."
Speaking about the return of Ben White, Timberlake and Zinchenko, Arteta said, "All three of them are very close to returning. We'll have to step it up today and see who's available because we'll be even stronger with a full complement of guys."
Furthermore, Arteta spoke about the impact Havertz had on him against Bournemouth last season: "That was definitely a turning point. He's been unbelievable since then and has made a huge contribution to the team."
On Tuchel's appointment as England manager, Arteta said, "He is one of the best coaches in the world and I am sure England will learn a lot. It also bodes well for the players."
Speaking about the team's defensive issues, Arteta admitted: "We haven't shut out our opponents in the last three league matches and there is still room for improvement in this area. We need to maintain a high level of consistency and ensure that we bring a sense of urgency, creativity and focus to every move."
Finally, Arteta emphasized the threat of Bournemouth, "They are well trained and a very competitive team. It will be a huge challenge to play them after the international day and we have to be at our best."
