Injured Arsenal trio return to training ahead of key Leverkusen clash

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been handed a significant boost ahead of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 clash against Bayer Leverkusen, with three senior players returning to training ahead of the trip to Germany.

The Gunners completed their final session at London Colney on Tuesday afternoon before departing for the BayArena.

During the session, William Saliba, Leandro Trossard, and Riccardo Calafiori were all seen back on the grass, providing a welcome boost for Arteta ahead of the crucial fixture.

French defender, Saliba had missed Arsenal’s last two matches against Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League and Mansfield Town in the FA Cup due to an ankle sprain.

Meanwhile, Trossard and Calafiori picked up injuries during the 2-1 FA Cup win over Mansfield Town.

Trossard, who joined the Gunners from Brighton, suffered a leg issue in the first half and was replaced by Piero Hincapie in the 38th minute.

The Belgian International been a key figure for the Gunners in the Champions League this season, scoring once and providing three assists in five matches.

Calafiori, on the other hand, suffered a hamstring injury in the second half and was replaced by debutant Jaden Dixon.

Despite these recent setbacks, all three players have rejoined full training with the squad and look likely to feature against Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday.

However, Arsenal will still be without some key figures who did not participate in the final training session in London.

Club captain Martin Ødegaard, Ben White, and Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino, who recently underwent successful foot surgery, are expected to miss the clash.

Other returning players include Declan Rice, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Martin Zubimendi, all of whom missed the FA Cup victory over Mansfield Town.

Arteta will hope that the return of his first-team stars will help Arsenal maintain their strong performance and secure a place in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Should they prevail against the Bundesliga side, the Premier League leaders will face either Bodo/Glimt or Sporting CP in the last eight.

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