Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has revealed that both Olivier Giroud and Aaron Ramsey are closing in on returns to the first team.
Ramsey has been sidelined since the opening game of the season after picking up a hamstring injury in the defeat to Liverpool on August 14.
Meanwhile, his French teammate struggled early on in the campaign with his fitness after returning late due to his busy summer commitments at Euro 2016, but hasn’t featured since September 13 after picking up a toe injury.
While Arsenal have performed well in their absence having moved level with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League while also picking up positive results in Europe, Wenger will still hope to get a full squad back together as soon as possible.
When asked about the pair in his press conference ahead of his side’s Champions League clash with Ludogorets, the French tactician painted a positive picture for both.
“They continue their preparation as they have been out for a long time. I think they need sharpening up now but they are not far away,” he said, as noted by the club’s official website.
The influential duo have returned to training with their Arsenal teammates, but based on Wenger’s comments the trip to Hungary and the weekend clash with Middlesbrough are likely to come too soon for them.
As a result, they will likely hope to be in contention next week for the EFL Cup clash with Reading, and their respective returns will be huge boosts for Wenger as he looks to compete on various fronts this season and will need quality and depth in every position to ensure that Arsenal remain in contention through to the business end of the campaign.