“He is ready” – key Arsenal player returns ahead of Leeds trip reveals Arteta | OneFootball

Arsenal travel to Elland Road to face Leeds United in the Premier League, knowing a win would move them seven points clear of both Manchester City and Aston Villa at the top of the table.

Kai Havertz returned to action against Kairat Almaty in midweek, marking his comeback with a goal and an assist as he played a key role in the Gunners’ victory. Mikel Arteta has confirmed the forward is ready to feature again as Arsenal head to Yorkshire.

“He is ready,” Arteta said. “Obviously, he started the other day. It’s been a long period, and now we need to manage the load and the games that we’re going to select for him to start.

“There was no reaction to that. I think it was super positive – you could see straight away the impact that he can have in the team. So yes, he’s ready.”

William Saliba and Jurrien Timber were both absent against Kairat, but Arteta expects the pair to be available for the trip north, with no fresh injury concerns elsewhere in the squad.

“No, we didn’t have any surprises,” he said. “Hopefully, everybody will train well today and be available for tomorrow.

“They are ok. Obviously, they’ve been playing a lot of minutes and carrying a few niggles. It was a really good opportunity for us to offload them a little bit and refresh them.”

A response in the Premier League is important for Arsenal, who are searching for their first league win in three matches following defeat to Manchester United. Arteta wants his players to learn from that setback and use it as motivation going forward.

“It’s just understanding where you are,” he said. “When you lose a game, you have a lot of feelings because the players are so competitive and they seek excellence. When you don’t reach it, you ask yourself questions, and we did that.

“My role is to bring optimism and the reality of where we are. Our club has a long history, and finding a moment where, in February, we’re in the position we’re in is very difficult. We are doing so many things well, and we need to focus on that.

“Of course, we want to improve and be better in every area, but with self-confidence and conviction that we are on the right path.”

Arteta also spoke about Max Dowman, who signed his first scholarship this week, calling it a proud moment for both the player and the club.

“It’s a proud moment to see him signing that deal in front of his family and loved ones,” Arteta said.

“Big credit to everybody involved in his journey to bring him to the first team, especially the manner in which they’ve done it. Now we have an amazing talent that, day by day, we need to shape because there is so much there.”