Bukayo Saka's return brings Arsenal hope ahead of crucial Real Madrid tie

The young star shared a picture of himself back in training, flashing a big smile and captioning it "Hello again," signaling that he's on track to make a return to the first team.

Saka has been sidelined since December following hamstring surgery, but he's been putting in the work to make it back just in time for the Champions League quarter-finals. Arsenal will take on Real Madrid at the Emirates on April 7, and Saka is aiming to be part of the action, with the return leg in Madrid scheduled for April 15.

As reported earlier this month by Mirror Football, Saka has set his sights on making a possible comeback for the Fulham match on April 1, or for the following fixture against Everton on April 5. The goal is to regain full fitness ahead of the Madrid showdown and hopefully be included in the squad.

During the international break, Saka has been focused on regaining his fitness while many of his teammates are away with their respective national teams. His determination to return is evident, having missed 12 Premier League games and a total of 20 matches since his injury.

However, Arsenal are taking a cautious approach to his comeback, mindful of the potential risks of rushing him back too soon, especially given his hamstring injury. With key players like Gabriel Jesus, Martin Ødegaard, Kai Havertz, and Gabriel Martinelli all enduring lengthy absences this season, the club is being careful with Saka's recovery process.

Before his injury, Saka was in sensational form, contributing nine goals and 13 assists in just 24 appearances. Despite being out of action for over three months, he still leads Arsenal in combined goals and assists this season, underlining his importance to the team.

Manager Mikel Arteta has been measured when discussing Saka's return, but earlier this month he expressed optimism about the player's recovery. "He's making great progress, and there's a strong possibility he'll be back in April," Arteta said before the Chelsea match. "We're hopeful that he'll be back soon, and he's getting closer to full fitness."

While Arsenal's hopes of winning the Premier League title have faded with Liverpool now 12 points ahead, the Gunners remain hopeful of making a deep run in the Champions League. Their target is to reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2008/09, and Saka's potential return could be key to their chances against Real Madrid.

Arsenal's next match in the Premier League comes against Fulham on April 1, with a trip to Everton following just a few days later. They will then prepare for the first leg of their highly anticipated Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid on April 7.