Recent Arsenal injury updates and Nottingham return schedules.

Arsenal injury news as the Gunners prepare to take on Nottingham Forest with the hope of adding key players back into the squad.

Arsenal are closing in on a return to Premier League action once more as they prepare to travel to Nottingham Forest next week. The Gunners are currently in the middle of their second prolonged gap between matches as they watch on over FA Cup fourth round weekend.

Whilst Mikel Arteta will wish his side were participating in a tie it has handed him extra days to get back to the training pitch, something that looked to help against Crystal Palace last week. Arsenal ran out 5-0 winners in the first game back after the winter break and will have had another ten days to get ready for the task of breaking down Nuno Espirito Santo’s dogged Reds.

Arsenal will be hoping that, along with the return of long-term absentee Thomas Partey, Declan Rice and Gabriel Magalhaes are both fit to play. They went off against Palace but more as a precaution than anything. In training this week though there have been worries that not all players have been participating.

Thomas Partey

Partey has taken a giant step towards playing for Arsenal again after returning to training. He has been participating in full sessions by Arteta alongside his teammates, football.london understands, and may yet be available against Nottingham Forest.

What Arteta has said: “It was a huge blow as well losing Thomas. We had other plans as well with him, to become very versatile and unpredictable in our way of playing.”

Declan Rice

Rice seemed to pick up a hamstring injury towards the end of the Palace game, but Arteta has since attributed the issue to ‘tightness’. He has since posted online after the game, writing on Instagram, “[Letter A (assist) emoji] for the big man! Back to winning ways [red and white circle emoji].”

There have been positive steps towards an immediate return for him.

What Arteta has said: “He was feeling some tightness. I don’t know what muscle it was. But when he says that at three-nil then obviously we don’t want to take any risks.”

Expected return date: Nottingham Forest (A) – January 30

Gabriel Magalhaes

Gabriel picked up a knock following a collision late into the Palace game. With Arsenal home and dry, his substitution appeared to be precautionary. He is still being assessed ahead of the trip to Forest on Tuesday, football.london understands, and wasn’t seen in training images released by the club.

What Arteta has said: “He had some discomfort from a tackle in the first half and he was struggling a bit so it was the right moment to take him off the field.”

Expected return date: Nottingham Forest (A) – January 30

Takehiro Tomiyasu

Tomiyasu is back fit after suffering a calf problem which kept him out for most of December, but he’s currently competing at the Asian Cup with Japan. The 25-year-old defender could be back as early as next week although he’s expected to be away for longer.

Expected return date: Unknown

Fabio Vieira

Vieira remains out with the midfielder making steady progress after having surgery on a groin injury and did some light warm-ups during Arsenal’s winter camp in Dubai. He is now nearing a return, football.london understands.

What Arteta has said: “Yeah we’ve got a problem with him. He’s been having some discomfort. We tried to have some conservative treatment with him. It wasn’t improving so we sent him to see a specialist and the advice was to have an operation in his groin. We expect him to be out for weeks now.”

Expected return date: February 2024

Jurrien Timber

Timber is stepping up his work as a return this season begins to look more and more likely. He is now involved in ball training and there has been a growing sense of optimism around the player that he will be featured again before the season is over.

The Daily Mail report that it could be in time to give him nearly two months of gametime before the year is out. There is still caution being urged though as his recovery continues.