Arsenal duo Thomas Partey and Oleksandr Zinchenko are planning to step up their workloads in the hope of making the trip to Sheffield United next week.
The Gunners are currently on a sensational six-match winning run in the Premier League. They have scored a stunning 25 goals, conceding only three.
Manager Mikel Arteta received a boost last week with Gabriel Jesus and Fabio Vieira returning to the matchday squad, but neither were introduced on the field.
It appears there could be a further boost for the trip to Bramall Lane with Partey and Zinchenko due to step up their workloads to prove their match fitness.
Partey participated in the final training session before the Newcastle game, but the Ghanaian star was not deemed fit enough to make the matchday squad.
On the other hand, Zinchenko has not returned to training since his calf injury against Liverpool, but he could be involved when the Gunners face the Blades.
£75m Arsenal duo could return vs Sheffield
Partey recently suffered a recurrence of his thigh injury and had to spend weeks on the sidelines.
The midfielder was involved in training in the lead-up to the Magpies clash, but Arteta acknowledged that he would be assessed to judge his level of fitness.
There were no surprises that he was not on the bench last weekend. Having spent four months on the sidelines, Arteta is handling him with extra caution.
The £45 million signing could make the trip to South Yorkshire if he passes a late fitness test.
We could say the same for Zinchenko, who has been on the sidelines for a month. He is unlikely to be rushed back unless he is considered to be fully fit.
In the absence of the £30 million star, Jakub Kiwior has stepped up with a string of fantastic performances from left-back and recently scored his first goal of the season.
Ben White has inverted from the right-back position in recent outings thus allowing Kiwior to focus on his defending which is obviously his main strength.
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