Arsenal are looking to make it five wins from five as they welcome Aston Villa to the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday evening.
And supporters have been handed a boost to their prospects of overcoming Steven Gerrard’s side after spotting someone in training.
During Tuesday afternoon’s session at London Colney, Arsenal’s £32m signing Oleksandr Zinchenko was spotted taking part in full training.
It’s news that goes against Mikel Arteta’s comments in his pre-match press conference where he stated that Zinchenko was unlikely to feature against Villa.
When asked about the availability of him and Partey, Arteta said “I don’t think so. We still have to make another scan, especially on Thomas, to see the length, but I don’t think they will be available.”
Zinchenko was left out of Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Fulham on the weekend as a precaution following a sprain to his knee.
However, the recent news that Mohamed Elneny is likely to be out for a significant period of time, coupled with Partey’s injury issues, it leaves extra reliance on Zinchenko’s availability.
There’s a chance that Arteta uses Zinchenko as a central midfielder against Villa, allowing Tierney to keep his place at left back and ensure as strong an XI as possible.
Arteta also has Albert Sambi Lokonga to rely on, as well as the potential to include Miguel Azeez in the matchday squad.