Mikel Arteta provides injury update on 2 Arsenal stars ahead of Chelsea clash

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has provided an injury update on Alexandre Lacazette and Takehiro Tomiyasu ahead of their clash with Chelsea in the Premier League on Wednesday.

The Gunners will head into their game against the Blues on the back of three consecutive league defeats.

Mikel Arteta's side have suffered from an injury crisis in recent weeks. They have had to make do without the services of a number of key players such as Kieran Tierney, Thomas Partey, and Takehiro Tomiyasu.

Alexandre Lacazette also missed the Gunners' 1-0 defeat to Southampton last weekend after testing positive for Covid-19.

Despite Lacazette's disappointing goalscoring record this season, he has linked up well with the likes of Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Emile Smith Rowe.

Meanwhile, Tomiyasu has spent two and a half months on the sidelines due to a calf injury. The 23-year-old has been a revelation at Arsenal since joining the club this summer.

Arteta revealed that Lacazette could return to action against Thomas Tuchel's side, and also said Tomiyasu is 'very, very close' to regaining full fitness.

"We will asses him [Lacazette] today to see if he's available for the team. Tomiyasu is very, very close. We will decide today after the training sessions [if he'll make the squad]," said Arteta as per Football.london.

Arsenal will face a Chelsea side that has been in red hot form over the last couple of weeks.

They claimed a 6-0 victory over Southampton a fortnight ago and followed it up with an impressive 3-2 win over Real Madrid in the second leg of the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Thomas Tuchel's side also cruised to a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace in the semi-finals of the FA Cup on Sunday.

Arsenal are in desperate need of a positive result against Chelsea

Real Madrid v Chelsea FC Quarter Final Leg Two - UEFA Champions League

Arsenal have suffered four defeats in their last five Premier League games. Their slump in form has resulted in Arteta's side dropping down to sixth place in the league table, three points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.

The Gunners have a game in hand over Antonio Conte's side but have a daunting fixture list ahead of them. They will face Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham and West Ham before the end of the season.

The club have also suffered in recent weeks due to their lack of strength in depth. They have been tipped to miss out on a place in the top four.

A failure to secure qualification for next season's Champions League could severely hamper Arsenal's performance in the summer transfer window.

They could also struggle to keep hold of prized assets like Bukayo Saka. The England international has little over a year left on his contract with the club.

Arteta's side are therefore in desperate need of a positive result against Chelsea on Wednesday.