Team News: Lucas returns to training

Lucas Perez is closing in on a return to first team action after suffering an ankle injury in Arsenal’s EFL Cup victory over Reading. Perez has missed the past four matches against Sunderland, Ludogorets, Tottenham and Manchester United. In the latest team news Wenger indicated that Lucas returned to training for the UCL match against PSG earlier than he expected, but he was ultimately unwilling to establish a return date for Lucas. Lucas did not participate in the training session fully so it will likely be one or two more weeks until he is completely ready to return to the first team. Even though he is not completely healthy, this news is still an encouraging sign.

Initial reports established a four to five week timetable for Lucas’ return. After he sustained the injury, Lucas returned to Deportivo in order to take advantage of their medical facilities. With this recent news, it seems that Lucas’ time away has allowed him to return on schedule. It is highly unlikely that Perez will feature this week against either Paris Saint-Germain or Bournemouth so another week of full training could prepare him for a return on December 3rd against West Ham United at the London Stadium.

In three appearances for the Gunners so far this season, Lucas scored two goals in the League Cup match against Nottingham Forest. With several first team players nursing injuries, Arsenal needs Lucas to return when he is ready. Hopefully he can use the next two weeks to regain full fitness so that he can ease back into first team action against West Ham United.