Topik: Thomas Partey, Fabio Vieira, Arsenal, Porto, UEFA Champions League
The Gunners visit the Estádio do Dragão for the 1st leg of their round of 16 showdown and have welcomed back two players ahead of that game.

Arsenal are gearing up for their UEFA Champions League round of 16 showdown with Porto, with the Gunners traveling to the Estádio do Dragão on Wednesday for the first leg of this matchup.

The North London giants enter this clash on the back of tremendous form, having won every single Premier League match in 2024, scoring a whopping 21 goals in those five fixtures while conceding only two goals. Nonetheless, fans have been worried about one aspect: injuries.

Fortunately, Arteta's side have received a huge boost in that department as well. Two midfielders have returned to training ahead of the Porto showdown and they are Thomas Partey and Fabio Vieira.

Both players took part in Tuesday morning's training and while their availability for Wednesday's game still remains unclear, this is a much-welcomed update for the club.

Both men have been out for months, with the Ghanaian being sidelined since October after suffering a thigh injury — and a subsequent relapse earlier this year — while the Portuguese talent has been missing since November after undergoing surgery for a groin issue.

If the duo make the trip to Portugal, a spot on the bench appears inevitable, but with Arsenal entering the business end of the season, Arteta will be pleased to see two men return from the treatment table.

However, the North London outfit are not yet completely out of the woods. Takehiro Tomiyasu, who left Arsenal in January to represent Japan at the Asian Cup, has returned to the English capital but remains unavailable. Meanwhile, former Manchester City duo Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko have not yet returned to training. 

Jurrien Timber, on the flip side, is progressing well but is recovering from an ACL injury he suffered on Matchweek 1 and might not be back to his best anytime soon. Regardless, Arteta will have to cope with the current circumstance as he aims to lead Arsenal past the UEFA Champions League round of 16 for the first time since 2010.