Arsenal star returns to training ahead of Nottingham Forest clash
Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny has returned to first-team training ahead of his team's Premier League game against Nottingham Forest on Sunday (October 30).
Elneny, 30, has been out of action for over two months due to a hamstring issue sustained in the Gunners' 2-1 win over Fulham in August. He has made just one appearance this season due to injury, missing 12 games across competitions.
Earlier in September, Gunners manager Mikel Arteta fretted over Elneny's fitness, saying that the player has been sidelined for quite a while. However, the Egyptian has made a quick return to training, boosting his hopes of first-team action before the FIFA World Cup in Qatar next month.
Taking to Instagram on Saturday, Elneny posted:
"Surprise! I'm back. Ready to fight."
During Elneny's lengthy absence, Thomas Partey, Granit Xhaka and Albert Sambi Lokonga deputised in Arteta's double pivot in midfield. Although Elneny is not expected to feature against the Tricky Trees, he's set to ease the burden on his fellow midfielders in the four clashes before the mid-season break.
Elneny, who arrived from FC Basel for £5 million in 2016, has registered five goals and ten assists in 148 games for the north London outfit across competitions. Meanwhile, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Emile Smith Rowe continue to be sidelined with calf and groin injury respectively.
"It's very difficult to give a timeline." 🗓️
Mikel Arteta on Emile Smith Rowe's major injury blow. 🤕https://t.co/riUVcc7hyw
Paul Merson predicts result of Arsenal-Nottingham Forest clash
In his column for Sportskeeda, former Arsenal forward Paul Merson predicted a 3-0 win for the Gunners against Nottingham Forest. He wrote:
"Mikel Arteta has been quite clever with Arsenal. I know they suffered a bad result the other day against Southampton, but they didn't lose – that's a big compliment. Last season, they would've lost that game. If they are at the top of the Premier League table come the World Cup break, it'll be a massive feat."
Merson added that the Gunners could prove to be too strong for Steve Cooper's side, who registered a 1-0 win over Liverpool last week. He added:
"Nottingham Forest will sit back and play ten men behind the ball, but I think Arsenal will have too much for them. The earlier they find the back of the net, the bigger the final score will be. Forest are going to play one way and one way only, but I think they (Gunners) should be able to win this match."
Arsenal are second in the standings with 28 points from 11 games, just one behind Manchester City, who won 1-0 at Leicester City on Saturday. The Gunners will return to the top with a win against Forest.