Arsenal: Mikel Arteta backs Raheem Sterling to step up in Tottenham derby clash | OneFootball

Chelsea loanee in line to start the north London derby after timely return from injury

Mikel Arteta has backed Raheem Sterling to step up for Arsenal and make an impact in the absence of Bukayo Saka.

Options: Mikel Arteta has started four different players on the right wing since losing Bukayo Saka to injury

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Sterling suffered a knee injury in training the same week that Saka tore his hamstring last month, but he is now back fit.

“I was really happy with the way he (Sterling) came in [against Manchester United],” said Arteta on the eve of the derby. “Since he had the injury and he came back, you could sense he was going to give us something important.

“Great, because we need him. You could see what he can bring. He is used to playing in this kind of context and the demands that we have, every three days. Great to have him.”

Arsenal come into the north London derby off the back of a difficult week. They were dumped out of the FA Cup by Manchester United and lost the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final at home to Newcastle.

The Gunners suffered a similar dip around this time last season, when Liverpool knocked them out of the FA Cup. But Arteta believes the circumstances are different this year given Arsenal’s injury issues, and he has backed the squad to be more resilient given the struggles they have experienced.

“I mean, for example, in the Premier League we are in a similar place to where we were last year,” said Arteta. “We are in a much better place in terms of the league table and that tells you about the difficulty and competitiveness of the league, but as well we have very, very difficult circumstances.

“In terms of managing situations in the squad and other stuff that happened too and I think that’s a big positive for the team.

“It is a bit different [to last year] because from the start of the season already we had to deal with quite a lot of things and that’s helping the team a lot to get where we want.

“To have those kinds of experiences, to have the ability to adapt and confront the situation. The team is doing it again. The results are not what we want but the manner in which they are occurring is very specific and unusual.”