Mikel Arteta believes he should be fine to feature for the Gunners in the match against Manchester City which is going to be played on 13th of September.
Arteta had taken a blow on his ankle while playing in a Champions League match against Besiktas about 10 days back.
The Spaniard has already missed a game and he is supposed to be going to miss another one i.e. against Leicester City at the end of this month, but, after that, the Gunners are going to get a couple of weeks’ break and the playmaker is expecting to recover from his injury in that duration.
In an interview of his yesterday, Arteta was quoted as saying, “I am doing what’s required for me to get fit before the City match and I think I should able to get there in time. I am eager to play a part for the team in that all important match.”
This is Arteta’s first season as captain at Arsenal. He was the vice captain until the last season and probably would have continued as the same this season as well if Thomas Vermaelen had remained at the club, but, because of the departure of the Belgian, he got the armband.
Arteta could not have hoped for a better start as captain as in his very first match as regular skipper, he won a title i.e. the Community Shield against Manchester City.
The Gunners were all over City in that game. It was a comfortable victory for Arsene Wenger’s boys at Wembley with Santi Cazorla, Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud getting on the score sheet for them.
Arteta had actually worn the armband in the last season’s FA Cup final as well in Vermaelen’s absence. So, effectively, he has two titles as captain now.