Arsenal Boost As Ainsley Maitland-Niles Returns To Full Training

Ainsley Maitland-Niles was being monitored ahead of the trip to Huddersfield but he took part in full training before the game…

Arsenal starlet Ainsley Maitland-Niles seems to be fully fit to face Huddersfield on Saturday after resuming first-team training ahead of the clash, the club’s footage reveals.

Maitland-Niles was being monitored for the knee injury which has kept him out of our last two fixtures against Cardiff City and Manchester City.

His absence left us very short in the right-back area following the season-ending injury suffered by Hector Bellerin last month. Unai Emery has Stephan Lichsteiner and Carl Jenkinson to choose from at right-back, but they’re proven to be somewhat of a liability at this level.

Maitland-Niles has reiterated that his desire is to play in midfield and despite his encouraging display there against Manchester United towards the back end of last season, both Arsene Wenger and Emery have deemed him more suitable to a full-back role.

With the window now shut and the club deciding against acquiring a right-back, it’s imperative for our season that the 21-year-old remains fit.

In the video released by the club, you can see that Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Shkodran Mustafi also took part in full training and one would expect to see them return to the squad for this weekend’s clash.