Thomas Partey and Jorginho have dropped an early team news hint ahead of Arsenal's clash against Bournemouth. The Gunners welcome Andoni Iraola's side to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon, knowing a win would extend their lead at the top of the Premier League.
Arsenal will be determined to extend their winning streak following a 3-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur. The Gunners established a one-point lead over Manchester City in the title race last weekend after storming past their north London rivals.
While the reigning champions have a game in hand, Mikel Arteta's side can set the pace. As for the Cherries, they've been enjoying an excellent vein of form recently, mounting a late – and ambitious – bid for European qualification.
Nevertheless, Partey and Jorginho have both posted pre-match graphic previews of the Bournemouth fixture to their respective Instagram stories. Historically, this suggests that they will be involved in some capacity.
One player who could finally make their return to the matchday squad is Jurrien Timber. The 22-year-old defender suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury on the opening weekend of the Premier League season against Nottingham Forest, missing a large chunk of the season.
He's recently returned to action, building his match fitness with the under-21s. Speaking to reporters ahead of the Cherries clash, Arteta was asked whether or not the Netherlands international is ready to make an impact.
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"We won’t know that until we throw him in there," said the Spaniard. "It’s tricky because there are only three games to go and he has missed eight months of football, he’s played only 115 minutes of football with the under-21s.
"It’s a question that can only be resolved by throwing him on the pitch and we will see what happens – we have to try to nail that decision when [we take it]," added Arteta. "It does (come as a boost) because it increases the quality of the training sessions.
"You see how commanding he is, his leadership, his quality and the rest they have to lift it up and they start to demand more from each other and they look at each other and say 'mhmm, I better be good because I want to keep playing', and this is very positive for the squad."
With that being said, Arteta will be relying on the likes of Partey and Jorginho to step up the title race building a head of steam. While a few players have posted pre-match previews of the Bournemouth clash to their Instagram stories, it does not necessarily mean they will all start.
