Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney is reportedly on course to return to training with the squad by the end of the month.
The Scotland international has been out of action since undergoing knee surgery in April - missing Arsenal's last 10 Premier League games in the 2021-22 season.
The Gunners fell short in their bid to qualify for the Champions League without Tierney in the squad, winning five and losing five during the 25-year-old's absence.
The ex-Celtic man was also forced to cede his place in the Scotland setup for June's international fixtures as Steve Clarke's side fell to a 3-1 loss to Ukraine in their World Cup 2022 Qualifying playoff semi-final.
Tierney has already been bedevilled by several injury problems since arriving from Celtic in the summer of 2019, but he is said to be making strong progress from his latest setback.
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According to The Sun, Arsenal are hopeful that Tierney will be back out on the grass during the latter stages of June, and a date has already been earmarked for his comeback.
The report adds that Mikel Arteta hopes to see Tierney back in action on July 8, when a friendly fixture with second-tier German side FC Nurnberg will take place.
Tierney ended the 2021-22 season with one goal and three assists from 25 outings for Arsenal in all tournaments, taking his total to four goals and 12 assists in 87 appearances.
The defender's injury problems have seen him miss a total of 48 games for the club, though, as he firstly suffered a dislocated shoulder against West Ham United in December 2019.
Tierney then spent two weeks out with a minor groin injury in September 2020 before a knee issue ruled him out of a further six fixtures between January and February 2021.
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A further problem in the same area left Tierney sidelined for eight matches towards the end of the 2020-21 season, and a small ankle injury ruled him out for a brief period during the autumn.
In Tierney's absence, Nuno Tavares often filled in on the left-hand side of the rearguard, but the Portugal Under-21 international drew criticism for his volatile displays.
As a result, Arsenal are reportedly exploring the possibility of sending Tavares out on loan for the 2022-23 season as they aim to strike deals for either Bologna's Aaron Hickey or Manchester City's Oleksandr Zinchenko.
The Gunners have already announced a chunk of their pre-season fixtures, starting with a friendly against Everton in the USA on July 16 before facing Orlando City and Chelsea in the Florida Cup.
Arsenal will then welcome Sevilla to North London for the 11th edition of the Emirates Cup on July 30, with the tournament returning for the first time since 2019.
Ben Knapton
