Will Saka be fit for Arsenal vs Real Madrid Champions League quarter-final?

Arsenal got the job done against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday night. Leading 7-1 from the first leg, it was a foregone conclusion that the Gunners would be in the last eight.

And an experimental lineup secured safe passage with a 2-2 draw to win 9-3 on aggregate. There is unlikely to be anywhere close to a repeat of that scoreline in the quarter-final, after it was confirmed, late in the day on Wednesday, that they would be facing current champions Real Madrid.

The two-legged quarter-final will take place in the weeks of April 7 and April 14 - four and five weeks from now. And every Arsenal supporter will be hoping to have their strongest possible lineup out on the pitch for the clash with Los Blancos.

Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus will obviously be missing - out with season-ending injuries - but Bukayo Saka is the one everyone will look to. The Englishman has been out since December, with a hamstring injury suffered in the game with Crystal Palace just before Christmas.

But will he be back in action in time for the Real Madrid double header? After this weekend's Premier League fixtures, we head into an international break, which is important given what Mikel Arteta has said.

After the international break there is another weekend off for the Gunners, with it being FA Cup quarter-final weekend. Arsenal lost in the third round to Manchester United, so will not be in action.

Arsenal then have a midweek game at home to Fulham on April 1, before going to Goodison Park for the final time to face Everton on April 5 ahead of that first Real Madrid clash.

Speaking earlier this week, Arteta said: "After the international break let’s see where he (Saka) is. His progress is really good, he is really willing - as you can all imagine - so we are positive that in a few weeks hopefully he will be back."

After the international break would leave another two weeks before the Real Madrid clash for Saka to get up to speed. And, with the first match four weeks away, the fact that Arteta is talking about "weeks" as opposed to a month, suggests there is a real hope Saka will be involved.

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