Piero Hincapie and Eberechi Eze included in the preliminary Arsenal squad for Bournemouth match

Arsenal have received a timely boost ahead of Saturday’s Premier League meeting with Bournemouth, with both Piero Hincapie and Eberechi Eze named in the club’s preliminary squad, according to the widely followed Hand of Arsenal account.

The Ecuadorian defender and England attacker have been sidelined with respective knocks sustained on international duty and in the Champions League, but the Gunners insider—an outlet trusted by leading journalists including Fabrizio Romano and Charles Watts—reports that the pair could be in contention to return at the Emirates Stadium.

Eze last featured in the round-of-16 second-leg against Bayer Leverkusen and missed the Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City as a result of the problem. Hincapie, meanwhile, was unavailable for the recent league victory over Southampton and the first-leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Sporting CP after picking up an injury while on national-team duty.

While it remains uncertain whether either player will be risked against Bournemouth, their presence in the provisional group offers Mikel Arteta welcome options as Arsenal look to consolidate their position at the top end of the table. Should they be withheld at the weekend, the mid-week return leg against Sporting—where the Gunners hold a slender 1-0 advantage—appears a more realistic target for full minutes.

Regardless of immediate involvement, the potential return of Eze and Hincapie provides a lift for the squad ahead of a pivotal run that includes next weekend’s league encounter with Manchester City.