Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has remained coy on the availability of several key players ahead of Saturday's crucial Premier League trip to face Aston Villa at Villa Park.
Late fitness tests for key Arsenal stars
The Gunners face a potential defensive crisis, with centre-back Gabriel confirmed to miss the match entirely through injury. His usual partner, William Saliba, is also a major doubt. The 24-year-old French defender suffered a knock in training before last weekend's draw at Chelsea and watched the midweek win over Brentford from the stands.
Arteta revealed Saliba's situation is "a matter of days" and that he will undergo a late fitness test before the squad travels to the Midlands on Friday. The same applies to forward Leandro Trossard, who has missed the last two league games against Chelsea and Brentford.
Rice optimism amid Mosquera concern
There was more positive news regarding midfielder Declan Rice, who was substituted before the end of the Brentford victory. As he left the Emirates Stadium, Rice told Sky Sports he was "fine," though Arteta was more cautious in his pre-match press conference.
"Well, let's see. We have another training session in the afternoon," Arteta said when asked about Rice's fitness. "Every hour is going to be very important to see the availability of the players. After that, we'll decide which ones."
The most significant worry appears to be defender Cristhian Mosquera, who sustained an ankle injury against Brentford on Wednesday night. Arteta described this as "the more complicated one," adding that the club needed to corroborate initial feelings with further testing.
Arteta's cautious approach to team news
The Arsenal boss emphasised the importance of the final training session before making any decisions. "After the training session, we'll know more," he stated regarding Saliba and Trossard. On the broader injury picture, he explained the need for clarity: "We need to know, because the feeling that we had after the game and yesterday, we need to corroborate with what happens with all the testing that we do today."
With Gabriel definitely absent and Saliba a major doubt, Arsenal's defensive options could be severely limited for the visit to Unai Emery's in-form Villa side. The potential absence of key midfielder Declan Rice would represent another significant blow to Arteta's plans.
The outcome of Friday's late fitness tests will now be critical in shaping Arsenal's lineup and tactics for a pivotal Premier League encounter on Saturday.
