Mikel Arteta has revealed Bukayo Saka will ramp up his rehabilitation next week as he bids to get fit for Arsenal’s Champions League showdown with Real Madrid.
Saka has been out of action since December after tearing his hamstring and he underwent surgery shortly after.
The winger is progressing well in his recovery and he hopes to be back in action next month after the upcoming international break.
Arsenal have a Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid then, with the first leg at Emirates Stadium on April 8 and the reverse fixture in Spain the following week.
Saka is expected to be fit for that and Arteta has confirmed the 23-year-old will increase his workload next week while the rest of the Arsenal squad are away on international duty.
“He is going to be here [at the Arsenal training ground], hopefully more with ball at his feet than he has had,” said Arteta.
“That will mean he is passing the ball and shooting and running and everything. He has done quite a lot already on the pitch working on his own.
“Next we need to arrange it with people around him in a more competitive training session and see how he goes with that.
“He’s getting closer, he’s stepping up and making a very good progress I would say. So, let’s see when we start to throw him in with the team, how he reacts and how fit he can get quickly.”
