Porto handed major injury boost before Arsenal Champions League clash
Porto have been handed a huge injury boost ahead of their second leg Champions League last-16 tie against Arsenal. The Portuguese side won the first leg with a last-gasp winner from Galeno which ended Arsenal's five-game winning streak in brutal fashion.
Following the European defeat, the Gunners bounced back by thumping both Sheffield United and Newcastle. This past weekend Mikel Arteta's side secured a 2-1 victory over Brentford with Kai Havertz netting a late winner. After recent returns from injury for Gabriel Jesus and Thomas Partey, Oleksandr Zinchenko was the latest to feature off the back of dealing with a muscular issue with his 11-minute cameo on Saturday leaving Arteta with a big decision for Tuesday evening's Champions League fixture.
Several players are still missing because of injuries with Takehiro Tomiyasu and Jurrien Timber still out. Gabriel Martinelli joined the defensive duo as an absentee last Monday after he was forced off against Sheffield United with a foot issue that also saw him miss the London derby against Brentford.
Arteta offered an update on the Brazil international ahead of the clash which suggests his injury is not serious. «We will try to get him back (for Porto),» he admitted. «With Gabi it's never too serious, because you know how he is.» Despite Arteta's hopeful update, Martinelli is a huge doubt to face Porto after being spotted by football.london walking through the mixed zone on crutches.
As for Porto, experienced striker Mehdi Taremi missed the first leg with a thigh injury however ahead of the second leg, he has returned to training, as per @FCPortoGlobal on X (formerly Twitter). The 31-year-old starting the Emirates Stadium clash appears unlikely given he has missed the last few
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