Arsenal travel to north London rivals Tottenham on Thursday evening knowing that a victory will seal a top four finish and with it Champions League qualification. The Gunners haven’t played in European football’s elite club competition since the 2016/17 season.
However, Spurs are in desperate need of a victory themselves to maintain their hopes of finishing fourth. The Lilywhites can close the gap on Arsenal to a point with a win and really turn up the pressure on Mikel Arteta’s side going into their final two fixtures.
Ahead of a crucial clash for both sides, football.london takes a look at the latest fitness problems facing Arsenal for Thursday’s trip acorss north London.
READ MORE: Arsenal's final three Premier League fixtures compared to top-four rivals Tottenham and Chelsea
Ben White and Bukayo Saka
White wasn’t available for the 2-1 win at West Ham earlier this month due to a thigh injury, with Rob Holding deputising for the England star. He also missed the Gunners’ 2-1 win over Leeds on Sunday and remains a doubt for Thursday's trip to Spurs.
Meanwhile, Saka was substituted in the final few minutes of the win over the Hammers which Arteta claimed was down to fatigue. He was also replaced by Nicolas Pepe after 68 minutes against Leeds.
However, whilst it remains uncertain whether White will be deemed fit enough, Saka should be available to face Antonio Conte's side.
What Arteta said: Ben (White) is a doubt. We’ll have to assess him; he’s feeling much better and Bukayo is the same."
Possible return date: Tottenham (a), May 12
Thomas Partey
Partey has been out of action with a thigh injury sustained during last month’s 3-0 defeat at Crystal Palace. Arteta recently revealed that the Ghanaian midfielder’s situation is “progressing” but refused to rule out a possible return before the end of the season.
football.london understands that Partey is taking part in individual training sessions each day with the target of being back in the first team squad within the "next few weeks".
A source told football.london that the current best case scenario for Partey would be for the 28-year-old to return for the final game of the season against Everton on May 22. However, Arsenal’s medical staff are keen not to rush him back and complicate his recovery.
Possible return date: Everton (h), May 22
Kieran Tierney
The Scottish left-back will not feature again this season having undergone knee surgery.
Possible return date: Summer 2022
