Team news update: Arsenal confirm quadruple injury boost ahead of Watford clash

Premier League football returns this weekend and Arsenal have provided a positive injury update ahead of Sunday afternoon’s trip to Vicarage Road to take on Watford.

Let’s start with the long-term injuries and the club have given an update on Rob Holding with the centre-back now back in full training following several months out with a knee ligament injury. Holding has already played a couple of times for the U23s so he could now be in contention to make his first team comeback this weekend.

Hector Bellerin is making good progress in his recovery from a serious knee injury and is expected to resume full first team training at some point this month. The right-back will need to play some games for the development squad before he’ll be considered for the first team but he’s edging closer to being available for selection which is a huge boost.

Kieran Tierney is also closing in on making his debut for the club as the left-back is on the verge of returning to full training following a niggling groin injury that he was carrying when he completed his transfer from Celtic earlier in the summer.

Dinos Mavropanos is another player who has been hampered by a groin problem but the young centre-back is progressing well in his recovery and should be back in full training later this month.

An update on Arsenal.com read:

Rob Holding
Now back in full training with the first team squad.

Hector Bellerin
Left knee. Continuing with on-field rehabilitation. Progressing well and aiming to participate in full training in September.

Kieran Tierney
Groin. Continues to receive treatment and further assessments. Progressing well and aiming to participate in full training in September.

Dinos Mavropanos
Groin. Continues to receive treatment and further assessments. Progressing well and aiming to participate in full training in September.

Arsenal had a number of players away with their countries during the international break and it seemed Unai Emery had some injury concerns to worry about with three of his players appearing to pick up knocks over the past two weeks.

Joe Willock has been a regular in Emery’s starting eleven so far this season so it was a worry when the young midfielder was forced to withdraw from the England U21 squad due to a calf problem.

Granit Xhaka was withdrawn during the second half during Switzerland’s victory over Gibraltar on Sunday and he admitted after the game he has been struggling with an Achilles problem in recent weeks.

Arsenal’s midfield options could have been further limited after Lucas Torreira was forced off at half-time during Uruguay’s 2-1 win over Costa Rica on Saturday night and he then missed the match against the USA three days later.

However, Arsenal have played down fears over the midfield trio after confirming that “no international players have reported injuries” during the break so it looks like Willock, Xhaka and Torreira will all be available to face Watford.

So Emery should have a strong squad to choose from this weekend as we head to Vicarage Road looking to get back to winning ways after taking just one point from our last two matches against Liverpool and Tottenham.