Arsenal received a significant boost ahead of their highly anticipated clash against Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, January 25, 2026, with the return of key players Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie to full training. Both defenders had been sidelined for several weeks due to injuries, making their return a timely one as the Gunners prepare for a demanding run of fixtures.
Calafiori has been out of action since last month with a muscle injury. Hincapie, on loan from Bayer Leverkusen, suffered a groin injury during the draw against Liverpool earlier in January. Their presence in training was spotted by Sky Sports cameras at the Sobha Realty Training Centre, signaling positive progress in their recovery.
While the return of Calafiori and Hincapie is a welcome sign for Arsenal, manager Mikel Arteta remains cautious about their immediate involvement in the starting lineup. Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Friday, Arteta indicated that a final decision on their availability would be made after Saturday's training session. "We still have another training session, so we'll see tomorrow after that, to assess everybody and make a decision, first of all, in the squad," Arteta stated.
Even if Calafiori is declared fit, he is unlikely to be thrown straight into the starting eleven, having missed the last eight games. Jurrien Timber could retain his place at left-back.
Arsenal's attacking options are also bolstered with Gabriel Jesus and Viktor Gyokeres vying for a place in the starting lineup. Both forwards impressed in the 3-1 Champions League win against Inter Milan, with Jesus scoring twice and Gyokeres also finding the net as a substitute. Kai Havertz is also nearing full recovery, further adding to Arteta's selection headache. Only Max Dowman remains sidelined with an ankle ligament injury.
Arsenal will be facing a Manchester United side who are playing with renewed confidence under interim manager Michael Carrick. United beat Manchester City 2-0 last weekend, extending Arsenal's lead at the top of the table to seven points. Arteta acknowledged the challenge posed by United, highlighting their increased intensity and new ideas since Carrick took charge. "Michael coming in will bring new ideas. Always, the intensity rises up. You could see that in the Manchester derby, the kind of behaviours and the game that they played, so we will expect a really tough match and we'll adapt to that for sure," Arteta said.
Arsenal have a good record against Manchester United recently, remaining unbeaten in their last seven encounters. Their last defeat against United came in 2022. However, the Gunners have struggled for goals in their last two Premier League games and haven't gone three league games without a goal since 2012.
With key players returning from injury and Manchester United showing improved form, Sunday's match promises to be a tightly contested affair.
