Double injury update, Nwaneri focus - Four things spotted in Arsenal training before Southampton

Latest Arsenal news with Mikel Arteta and his Arsenal players undertaking their first full training session before facing Southampton on Saturday

Arsenal will likely have just two intense training sessions in preparation for their Premier League clash against Southampton this weekend. On Tuesday evening, the Gunners put in a professional performance against Paris Saint-Germain to win their first Champions League game of the season.

That victory was Arsenal's third in six days at Emirates Stadium with Bolton and Leicester also beaten. With three fixtures arriving in quick succession, Mikel Arteta has tinkered with his starting XI, which has allowed Ethan Nwaneri and others to shine, though injuries have made that far from straightforward.

Ben White and Martin Odegaard are both currently missing and Jurrien Timber could soon join that list following his early withdrawal against PSG. In terms of good injury news, Mikel Merino and David Raya have both recovered while Takehiro Tomiyasu has been spotted training for the first time in two months.

With all of that being said, football.london has rounded up everything spotted from the latest session at London Colney.

Tomiyasu present but Timber missing

Following what has occurred in the last 72 hours, it is perhaps no surprise that Tomiyasu was pictured in Arsenal training but that Timber was nowhere to be seen.

The Japan international could be a straight replacement in the squad if Timber is unable to feature, though it may be a ploy by Arteta and co. to win the battle of mind games. Based on previous comments, the Gunners boss is unlikely to offer a clear update on Timber in his press conference on Friday.

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Nwaneri focus

One player to benefit from numerous midfield absences is Ethan Nwaneri. The 17-year-old scored twice against Bolton last month and appears to be more than ready to make a further impact throughout the campaign.

In Thursday's training session, he was pictured on numerous occasions with a stern and determined look on his face. The first of those arrived as the teenager ran beyond a training mannikin. Another photo, uploaded to the club's official website, showed him with the ball at his feet and looking up for an option.

Sterling pain

Since his loan switch to Arsenal, Raheem Sterling has mostly been limited to cameo appearances. Arteta opted not to bring him off the bench against PSG and thus he will be doing all he can to feature against Southampton.

A minor injury could get in the way of that though and he looked to be in some pain following a strong challenge from youngster Maldini Kacurri. It is very likely that Sterling is absolutely fine after the tackle, though his facial expressions said otherwise.

Arteta involved

Though there is a significant amount of injuries in Arsenal's squad, there should be enough players for a competitive training session to be completed. Despite that, one particular image appears to show Arteta in full stride as if he was also participating,

The Gunners boss is certainly not afraid of getting amongst the action and looked to be making a run into space with Declan Rice in possession. However, it is also entirely feasible that Arteta was staying close to the action in order to deliver his instructions.

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