Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has provided the latest fitness updates on Jurrien Timber and Mikel Merino ahead of Sunday’s clash against Crystal Palace.
The Gunners were crowned Premier League champions on Tuesday night after Manchester City failed to beat Bournemouth in a game that ended 1-1 at the Vitality Stadium.
The North London side face Crystal Palace on Sunday and will walk out as league champions for the first time in 22 years, since they won the ‘Invincibles ‘ in the 2003-04 season.
Speaking on Thursday, Arteta provided the latest update on Spanish midfielder Merino, who has been injured since January.
“Mikel is going to start to train with the group tomorrow,’ Arteta said.
“Today, he’s gone out a little bit, but it was just a reintegration.
“We had 48 hours to enjoy the success of winning the league. Now, tomorrow and Saturday, we’re going to prepare really well because we need to now lift again our habits and the standards that we normally do things to be in the best possible way to compete.
“On Sunday, we’ll have a little window there again to celebrate, to lift the trophy in a manner that deserves it, to connect with the people that we have constantly around us. But then we have six days that we need to write a new history in this football club”, the Arsenal manager added.
Meanwhile, the Spaniard also provided an update on the progress on Timber, who has been out of action for the past few weeks.
“Jurrien, let’s hope that he can do the same [as Merino’s progress] in the next few days.
“He’s still a little bit further behind than Mikel at the moment”, the Arsenal manager concluded.
Arsenal will also face Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League final in Budapest on May 30, as they hope to finally win their first title in the competition.
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