Mikel Arteta provides fitness update on 2 key Arsenal stars ahead of Premier League clash against Ipswich Town

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has provided an update on the fitness of Kai Havertz and Riccardo Calafiori ahead of their Premier League meeting with Ipswich Town. The Gunners will face the relegation-threatened side after their triumphant visit to Spain, where they defeated Real Madrid 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu in the UEFA Champions League.

Arteta's side were without both Havertz and Calafiori for the game against Real Madrid on Wednesday, with each of them having been on the sidelines for a while. The Spanish tactician spoke in his traditional press conference ahead of facing Ipswich, pointing out that both players are at different points in their recovery.

When asked about both players' , the manager provided updates on their respective statuses.

“That’s too close. If I have to bet on him (Havertz), earlier than expected. I will say yes (to his availability for PSG). The way he works everyday pushing. I don’t think you can hold him much longer”. "He (Calafiori) won’t be ready vs Ipswich. Back with PSG? If everything goes will I think so, maybe a little bit earlier. He’s on the pitch already, he’s doing a lot of stuff. We need to make the right steps to make sure when he’s back he’s ok”.

Kai Havertz has been out of action since February, having torn his hamstring during Arsenal's warm weather training camp in Dubai. He was projected to be out for the remainder of the season, but appears to be well ahead of schedule, and could return later this month.

Left-back Riccardo Calafiori suffered a knee injury on international duty with Italy in March and has not featured since then. The 22-year-old is also set to return from his injury later this month, providing a much-needed boost to his side.

Havertz has appeared 34 times for the Gunners this season, scoring 15 goals and providing four assists. Calafiori, on the other hand, has made 26 appearances for Arsenal, scoring thrice and assisting twice.

Arsenal keeping tabs on highly-rated Bundesliga striker: Reports

Arsenal are keeping a close eye on Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike ahead of possibly moving to sign him in the summer, as per reports. The Gunners are keen to add a striker to their squad after failing to do so in the last two windows, and have a number of targets in mind.

A report from TBR Football has revealed that the Gunners sent scouts to Germany to watch Ekitike feature against Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday. They did the same in the first leg in London seven days prior, and the 22-year-old found the net for his side.

Arsenal are not alone in their interest in the France U-21 international, with Liverpool also eyeing a move for him. The youngster is expected to cost around £80 million, having scored 21 goals across all competitions this season.

Edited by Sulayman Salahudeen