Arsenal get big boost with three players returning for first leg of Round of 16 matchup against Bayer Leverkusen

The Champions League Round of 16 starts today, and the leaders or the group phase got a triple dose of good news before their first leg match against Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday night. Arsenal will see three of their injured stars return for their away match at the BayArena.

Trio return for Arteta

It was a busy last week for the Gunners who had a league match against Brighton in which they barley escaped with three points before an FA Cup tie with Mansfield in which they needed a late goal to advance over the third tier side from One Call Stadium. The start of the month saw three of Mikel Arteta’s most relied upon players picked up knocks, and were initially a question for the first leg.

On Tuesday William Saliba, Leandro Tossard and Riccardo Calafiori were available for the final tune up before the match in Leverkusen. It’s perfect timing for a side that is looking to come out of Germany with a good away result before returning to the Emirates for the second leg next week.

Saliba was injured against Chelsea at the beginning of March and missed the last two matches with an ankle injury. The 24 year old Frenchman is one of the most relied upon defenders in Arteta’s side and having him back for one of the most important stretches of the season is only going to increase the likelihood of Arsenal advancing to the next round of the Champions League.

Captain still sidelined

Trossard and Calafiori were injured in the FA Cup match over the weekend, and were taken off the pitch after suffering “little niggles” according to their manager. Both have recovered since the Saturday match in Mansfield, and with their presence on the pitch in the final session before the trip, they are expected to be available for Wednesday’s match.

The timing couldn’t have been better for a squad that is battling some injuries on a few other fronts. Captain of the club Martin Odegaard is still recovering from a lingering knee injury that has kept him out of seven of Arsenal’s last nine matches in all competitions. Ben White remains sideline with an unspecified injury and Mike Merino will be out for the long term after having surgery on his foot.

Health is priority number one for the Gunners who are in the midst of four title races. They are leading the Premier League, in the final of the Carabao Cup, have advanced to the quarterfinal of the FA Cup and will look to take a step towards the next round of the Champions League in the first leg from Leverkusen.

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