Emery boost as players return from physio table
ARSENAL could welcome back Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Granit Xhaka and Ainsley MaitlandNiles for today’s Premier League visit to Town.
Mkhitaryan has not played since December due to a foot injury, Xhaka missed the 3-1 defeat at Manchester City with a groin complaint, while MaitlandNiles has been absent with a knee problem – but all three are back in full training.
January loan signing Denis Suarez is in line for his full debut but Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Danny Welbeck (both ankle), Hector Bellerin and Rob Holding (both knee) remain sidelined while Laurent Koscielny and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang should overcome illness to feature.
Emery has claimed Matteo Guendouzi’s summer decision to put his new club before country has helped him quickly become an Arsenal favourite.
And the Spanish coach insisted the teenage midfielder can grow into an Arsenal legend.
Guendouzi, 19, turned down a return to his former club ParisSaint Germain to join in a £7m deal from French side Lorient last July.
And he decided to miss the UEFA Under-19 Championships in Sweden to go on the pre-season tour to Singapore before establishing himself in the team by the start of the Premier League season.
Guendouzi, who has become a cult figure because of his big hair, has made 31 appearances – and his combative style has seen him booked nine times and sent off once.
Emery said: “The first impression from him is very good. We saw this from the first weeks of pre-season when he arrived here and started training.
“For example, his very big decision to decide not to play with the national team in the summer because he wanted to stay and work with us to show his capacity in pre-season.
“He earned the possibility to take minutes in the first XI. His adaptation was very quick. Now his progress is very good.” TOWN take on Arsenal today as Jan Siewert looks to pick up his first points as a Premier League manager.
It’s a tall ask for Town, with the visitors occupying the Premier League top six and boasting a dominant head-to-head record, winning nine and drawing two of the past 11 meetings. In fact, Huddersfield’s last win against Arsenal came in a 2-1 victory way back in January 1971.
Despite their well-documented defensive issues, Arsenal remain a real attacking threat. Only the Premier League’s top two sides can better Arsenal’s tally of 51 league goals scored this season. TOWN fans will enjoy watching Karlan Grant.
That’s the verdict of former Terriers boss Chris Powell as Huddersfield prepare to take on Arsenal at the John Smith’s Stadium.
Powell, of course, was at Grant’s previous club Charlton Athletic and has seen the 21-year-old develop.