Arteta to add two Arsenal players to squad vs Bayern as injury woes finally over

Mikel Arteta's injury crisis is easing ahead of Arsenal's Champions League clash with German champions Bayern Munich at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night.

Arsenal's injury nightmare appears to be easing just in time for their clash against European heavyweights Bayern Munich. The Gunners have historically found it tough against the German giants, with their last victory dating back to October 2015.

Fast forward over a decade, and Mikel Arteta has transformed Arsenal into serious contenders for this campaign's Champions League title. Last season saw the North London side reach the semi-finals and, given their squad depth, they'll be hoping to go even further this time around.

A top-eight finish is already within reach, but Bayern Munich will undoubtedly prove a stern test, boasting a squad brimming with talent. Much of Arsenal's success hinges on keeping their key players fit throughout the season and, if injuries do occur, how well the rest of the group can step up.

The Gunners have been hit hard by injuries this campaign, at times missing as many as eight first-team players; including stars like Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, and Martin Odegaard. However, the situation appears to be improving, with three players making a comeback in Arsenal's recent North London Derby triumph vs Tottenham.

Riccardo Calafiori, Noni Madueke, and Gabriel Martinelli have all battled back from injuries to be in contention for selection. This comes as a timely boost for manager Mikel Arteta, who is also set to receive more positive news on the injury front this week.

Captain Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus were seen participating in full training ahead of the showdown with Bayern Munich, positioning them well to be included in Wednesday night's matchday squad. However, it remains uncertain how quickly Arteta will want to reintroduce them into the fray.

Odegaard has been plagued by various injuries this season, including two shoulder issues that have disrupted his campaign's start. His most recent setback was a knee problem he sustained in early October.

Now that the club captain is back in training, there's a possibility he could be recalled to the squad to face Bayern Munich. However, his own fitness and Eberechi Eze's form might keep him out of the starting line-up for now.

For Jesus, the journey back to full fitness has been a longer one. Earlier this year, the Brazil player suffered an ACL injury during an FA Cup match against Manchester United, which led to a lengthy spell on the side-lines.

Although he's now back in training, he'll still need some conditioning work to regain full match fitness.

"He's quite close to be fair," Arteta told the press before Bayern Munich. "And it's earlier than we expected, in the next few days he's going to have another step to make, with a game that we're going to organise for him and, so after that, he's just going to be knocking on the door, because he's Gabriel, a winner, that's how it's happened."

That leaves three principal injury worries for the boss currently, with Gabriel Magalhaes side-lined with a thigh problem, while Kai Havertz and summer signing Viktor Gyokeres remain on the treatment table.

"Regarding the latter pair, Arteta commented: "Really good, both of them. In the next few days, they're going to have a repeat scan to see how everything is and where we can push them for the weekend."