Arsenal's Emile Smith Rowe has "stepped up" his recovery from injury and could feature in the Boxing Day clash against West Ham United at the Emirates Stadium, according to journalist Ben Dinnery.
The midfielder has not featured since a 16-minute cameo against Manchester United back in September, and manager Mikel Arteta will be hoping to have him available again soon, in what would be a boost to the Gunners' title chances.
GiveMeSport Injury News
What is the latest news involving Smith Rowe?
Smith Rowe's development this season has been hampered by a groin injury, for which he underwent successful surgery in late September to repair a damaged tendon, with a rehabilitation programme commencing soon after.
During an interview with Sky Sports at the F1 Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, the 22-year-old gave a promising update regarding his potential return, saying: "I'm back on the pitch, it's going well."
Football London previously indicated that the Englishman was due to return to full training in December, and stated that he could be included in the squad that travels to Dubai for a warm weather training camp during the World Cup.
While in Dubai, the Gunners have friendlies against Lyon and AC Milan pencilled in, and although these may come too soon for the starlet to get any minutes, a new update from Dinnery gives the impression that he should be back before too long.
What has Dinnery said about Smith Rowe?
Dinnery is hopeful that Smith Rowe will be available for selection at the earliest opportunity when the Premier League season resumes after the Qatar World Cup.
The injury expert told GIVEMESPORT: "In terms of that resumption in play, in and around Boxing Day, that's very much the target that he's looking for, he's stepped up his recovery in recent days and that's progressing really well."
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Will Smith Rowe's return be a boost for Arsenal?
The Arsenal academy graduate has flourished since making his breakthrough to the first team, and last season he was seriously impressive, reaching double figures in terms of his Premier League goal tally, scoring a total of 10.
Following a man-of-the-match performance in a 3-1 victory against Aston Villa last term, Arteta lauded his young talent as "superb", while also describing him as "really determined".
Despite not having the £50k-a-week maestro available for the majority of this season, the Gunners have surpassed expectations and are currently five points clear at the top of the Premier League table, having lost just once.
Therefore, it'd be too much of a stretch to say that they could perform much better upon Smith Rowe's return. However, he will be a welcome boost going into a busy period in the New Year, when Arteta will need to make changes to the team.
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