Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney is expected to be passed fit for Saturday's Premier League North London derby with Tottenham Hotspur, according to a report.
The Scotland international was named in Steve Clarke's first XI for their Nations League clash with Ireland on September 24 before clashing with Matt Doherty and Troy Parrott.
Tierney was forced to withdraw from the contest with that head injury in the 42nd minute, sparking fears that he would be added to Arsenal's ever-growing list of fitness concerns.
However, Clarke immediately played down the severity of the defender's issue, telling the press after the game: "Kieran was precautionary in the first half. He got a knock and the doctor decided to take him off."
Tierney did not take part in Scotland's subsequent Nations League match, as Clarke's side held on for a 0-0 draw with Ukraine to secure promotion to League A for the 2024-25 tournament.
In a further boost to Arsenal fans, football.london reports that Tierney is set to be available for the visit of Tottenham to the Emirates Stadium, and he only missed out against Ukraine as a precaution.
Mikel Arteta was facing a quandary at left-back for the North London derby, as Oleksandr Zinchenko picked up a calf problem prior to the international break.
With Cedric Soares also nursing a knock, Arsenal's left-back options would have been severely limited this weekend if none of the trio was able to recover in time.
However, Tierney will be at Arteta's disposal barring any late complications, and the report adds that Arsenal are optimistic about Zinchenko's chances of being fit for the contest.
Right-back Takehiro Tomiyasu was not involved in Japan's friendly draw with Ecuador on Tuesday, but he is also expected to be fine for the derby after it was confirmed that 'club circumstances' were the reason for his absence.
Finally, midfielder Thomas Partey could make a rapid recovery from knee discomfort to face Antonio Conte's side after being unable to play a single minute for Ghana during the international break.
The ex-Atletico Madrid man had only just returned from a thigh injury in the 3-0 win over Brentford on September 18, but Ghana manager Otto Addo eased concerns over his latest issue upon Partey's return to the UK.
"Hopefully Thomas will be healthy very, very soon. We didn't want to take that risk in a friendly game to play him against Brazil," Addo told reporters.
Captain Martin Odegaard was in action for Norway this month after recovering from a training knock, while Reiss Nelson has been put through his paces at London Colney and could make his first competitive appearance of the season this weekend.
However, Mohamed Elneny is expected to spend another few months out with a hamstring injury, and Emile Smith Rowe is still experiencing groin discomfort from the 3-1 defeat to Manchester United.
Arsenal went into the international break one point clear at the top of the Premier League table and will increase their lead over Tottenham to four points with victory on Saturday lunchtime. body check tags ::
