Bukayo Saka return plan hinted ahead of Real Madrid showdown

Arsenal have received a major squad boost ahead of their UEFA Champions League battles with Real Madrid next month.

The Gunners powered into the last eight of the competition after a dominant 9-3 last 16 aggregate win over PSV Eindhoven.

Their reward for that is a quarter final double header against the defending European champions, after Los Blancos dug deep to edge out a controversial penalty shootout win over Atletico Madrid.

Arsenal’s only previous Champions League meeting with Los Blancos came in the 2005/06 last 16 stage as Thierry Henry silenced the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in a 1-0 win.

The stakes are sky high ahead of the 2025 edition, with Arsenal’s campaign hinging on the Champions League – as Liverpool close in on the Premier League title – and Carlo Ancelotti’s team chase three major trophies.

Ahead of the visit of Ancelotti to North London, Mikel Arteta will have his talisman Bukayo Saka back to full fitness, in a key positive update for the Basque coach.

Saka has missed three months of action following surgery on a thigh injury, but he is now in full training, with multiple reports in the UK indicating he will feature against Fulham on April 1.

A run out against Fulham will be Saka’s first appearance of 2025, as part of a build up towards a likely start against Real Madrid, with a trip to Everton on the cards in between.

The plan is to start Saka against Real Madrid – despite the possible risk – due his importance in Arteta’s starting line up.

Raheem Sterling will miss the first leg due to a one-match suspension, but Saka’s start could see teenage star Ethan Nwaneri drop to the bench, with Mikel Merino and Gabriel Martinelli starting.

Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz remain sidelined with season-ending injuries for Arteta but the return of Saka will be a point of concern for Ancelotti.