Arsenal face another crucial Premier League encounter as they host Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday. The resurgent Red Devils are looking to continue their unbeaten run under Ruben Amorim and moved into the top half of the table following their 4-0 win over Everton.
The Gunners sit nine points behind league leaders Liverpool following their triumph at home to Manchester City. With both City (home to Nottingham Forest) and Liverpool (away to Newcastle) playing on Wednesday, the room for error is marginal ahead of a hectic Christmas period.
Arsenal were 3-1 victors in the last meeting between the two after goals from Declan Rice and Gabriel Jesus in second-half stoppage time snatched a point from the north west club.
However, the North London club will be without Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu while the quartet of Riccardo Calafiori, Mikel Merino, Thomas Partey and Gabriel are doubts for the showdown. Speaking on both the England and Japan international, Mikel Arteta said: "Ben is going to be out for months. We had to make a decision in the last few weeks, unfortunately.
"It got to a point where we had to protect the player, and we decided to do the surgery," he added. "Tomiyasu is going to be out for a bit. He's going away for a few weeks to change his environment because it's been really tough for him.
"We're going to give him the best opportunity to try and unlock something, but I think we need to be patient."
The Brazilian defender was forced off during their 5-2 win over West Ham United. But the Spanish tactician revealed that it was due to a problem that he picked up in the win over Sporting CP in the Champions League.
"It was related to the previous injury that he had in Lisbon and obviously he did great to be part of that but with that result and with the niggle that he’s feeling, we decided to take him off," said Arteta. As is the case with Calafiori as Arsenal continue to manage his minutes, the Gunners head coach admitted: "Well, he's been with little niggles in the last few weeks.
"Obviously he had a very serious knee injury and he's doing really well, but we have to manage his minutes and today we have to do the same."
United will be without two key players through suspension after Kobbie Mainoo and Lisandro Martinez picked up their fifth yellow cards of the campaign against the Toffees. Jonny Evans and Victor Lindelof are both doubts with a knock and leg injury respectively, but there could be a place in the squad for summer signing Leny Yoro for the first time.
"We have one more training session to see it," Amorim said at a press conference. "Maybe Leny Yoro is going to be in the squad.
"I felt he’s in a good moment now, his fitness is better, so I think he is going to be in the squad. We didn’t have too many trainings together. He’s training not alone but with a small group of players.
"He’s really fast but he’s a modern defender and that is good when you want to press high. I think he is a special talent but we have to be careful in this first moment."
There were concerns over Bruno Fernandes' fitness after receiving treatment on an ankle issue over the weekend but the Portuguese head coach dispelled any concerns. Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw who have both returned in recent weeks are set to be in contention.
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