Mikel Arteta only has a few more days on the training pitches at London Colney before Arsenal return to action. The Gunners will welcome Bournemouth to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon as either side hopes to add to their points tally.

Arsenal, who currently top the Premier League table, head into the Cherries clash following a fiercely contested north London derby. Arteta's side established a three-goal lead in the first half before Tottenham Hotspur clawed back two in the final half-hour.

The Lilywhites couldn't quite find an equaliser, handing Arsenal three huge points in the title race. As for Bournemouth, they'll be desperate to extend their two-game winning streak and mount a late – and certainly ambitious – push for European qualification.

With that being said, Arteta will be aware of the threat that Andoni Iraola's side poses, so the Gunners boss will want to field his strongest lineup. So, football.london has taken a look at all the latest Arsenal injury news as Jurrien Timber eyes a return.

Jurrien Timber

Timber suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury on the opening weekend of the Premier League season against Nottingham Forest, missing a large chunk of the season. The 22-year-old defender has recently returned to action, playing over an hour for the under-21s at the weekend.

He helped the young Gunners secure a 2-0 win over Liverpool as he steps up his rehabilitation. Finally, after nearly nine months on the sidelines, Timber could make his first-team return against Bournemouth – though a start would be unlikely.

With every other defender fit and available to Arteta, he will be in no rush to reintegrate the Netherlands international. Nevertheless, the Spaniard has suggested that Timber could feature in some capacity.

Injury: Knee.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the north London derby, Arteta said: "We have to make that decision [Saturday] after the training session. He’s very close, I don’t know if this is too early, but he’s very close now."

Potential return date: Bournemouth (H) – May 4.

Reiss Nelson

Nelson was omitted from the matchday squad that faced Tottenham at the weekend. It remains to be seen exactly why the 24-year-old winger was left out despite appearing in first-team training the day prior.

He's done well to steer clear of the treatment room this term after missing a few months last season due to a thigh issue. Between December 2022 and February 2023, Nelson missed nine games for Arsenal.

Injury: N/A.

Speaking to reporters at the start of April, Arteta said: "Look at the example of Reiss. His best moment for Arsenal, it’s a moment where he played a few minutes and made a huge impact and it’s one of the best days in his life as an Arsenal player.

"Nobody remembers if he started or if it was off the bench. There are a lot of examples in world sport where players made the impact. Sometimes you just need a second to change the history of a football club. You don’t need 100 minutes to play football."

Potential return date: Bournemouth (H) – May 4.

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