Granit Xhaka is already back in light training with Arsenal, despite the club’s insistence he won’t return to match action until 2022.

Posting on his Instagram page this weekend, Granit Xhaka confirmed that he’s back out on the grass again with Arsenal. The midfielder uploaded a couple of pictures showing him taking part in light training.

Now, this doesn’t mean he’s set for a comeback anytime soon. There’s a big difference between going for a jog and playing in a Premier League football match. But it’s an encouraging sign for Xhaka’s return timetable.

In mid-October, Arsenal gave us the update that Xhaka was aiming to return to full training in early 2022. As recently as this week, their updates have continued to stick to that schedule.

Now that he’s back out there, we should be able to see for ourselves when Xhaka re-joins the main group. If it’s anytime before the end of the year, we could be set to see him return earlier than expected.

In the meantime, Thomas Partey and Albert Sambi Lokonga have been doing a good job together, taking some of the pressure off Xhaka’s return.