Mikel Arteta reveals injury boost ahead of crucial Arsenal clash in title race v Man City

Mikel Arteta has revealed he has a fully fit squad ahead of Arsenal’s crucial Premier League encounter against Bournemouth on Saturday.

The Gunners kick off this weekend’s title action when Andoni Iraola’s side travel to the Emirates, before Manchester City face Wolverhampton Wanderers a few hours later.

First-place Arsenal are a point clear heading into the final weeks of the campaign, but crucially City have a game in hand, which comes against an out-of-form Tottenham Hotspur side on 14 May.

In the meantime, Arteta knows his side need to win all of their remaining three games and hope City slip up at some stage. And his hopes of achieving that have been boosted by a clean bill of health for his squad, something the Spaniard has not been able to call upon this season.

Jurrien Timber has been an almost constant absentee this campaign following the long-term knee injury that he picked up on the opening weekend of the season. The problem has prevented him playing since then, but he recently returned for the Under-21s, playing against Blackburn Rovers and Liverpool last week.

As a result, Timber could be in line to return to the Gunners’ squad this week. "Yes everybody is fit and available," said Arteta ahead of the Bournemouth clash. "So now it's the headache to make the right selection."

Asked whether Timber could have an immediate impact, he replied: “We’re not going to know until we throw him in. It’s tricky because it's only three games to go and he’s missed eight months of football. 

“He’s played only 50 minutes of football with the Under-21s, so it's a question that has to be resolved only by throwing him on the pitch and seeing what happens. We have to try to nail that decision.”