Arsenal suffer blow as Mikel Arteta provides Viktor Gyokeres injury update | OneFootball

Mikel Arteta also provides an update on Gabriel Jesus after the Arsenal forward returned to full training

Mikel Arteta has confirmed Viktor Gyokeres remains unavailable for Arsenal’s Premier League match with Sunderland on Saturday.

The Swede has undergone scans this week and has been left out of the Sweden squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

And speaking about Gyokeres on Friday morning, Arteta said: “No, no news. We remain the same, nobody new that can join the squad. So, all the same.”

Gyokores was one of eight first-team players to miss Arsenal’s win over Prague, but Martin Zubimendi will return for Saturday’s trip to Sunderland after serving his suspension in the Champions League.

Kai Havertz, Martin Odegaard and Noni Madueke are all out with knee injuries, while Gabriel Martinelli is missing due to a thigh injury.

Arteta has previously spoken of his optimism that all four players will be back for the north London derby.

“Some of them, all of them I don’t know,” the Spaniard added on Friday. “There are a lot of things that have to happen in the next two weeks, and everything has to be perfect, but I think we’ll be very close with most of them to be in a really strong position.”

Gabriel Jesus returned to full training on Thursday for the first time since undergoing knee surgery in January.

It had previously been thought that the striker would not return to action until January.

And Arteta said: “I don’t know. Now is about making the steps day by day in a different surrounding. Obviously, he’s been doing everything on his own; now he’s got players around him, very competitive players around him, and see how he copes with that.

“But he’s full of energy, I love the reaction of all his team-mates when he first joined us and yeah, great to have him back.”

Kepa Arrizabalaga was also absent on Tuesday night in Prague after he missed training on Monday.