Bruno Guimaraes picked up an injury during last weekend's Community Shield which ruled him out of Arsenal's 3-0 victory against Coventry on Friday, but he could be back for their next match
Mikel Arteta interview
Mikel Arteta is optimistic about Bruno Guimaraes(Image: Sky Sports)
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Mikel Arteta insists Arsenal hope new signing Bruno Guimaraes could be back to face Aston Villa next Monday. Brazil star Guimaraes, the club’s £75m summer buy, missed Arsenal’s win over Coventry with a thigh strain.
There had been suggestions that the former Newcastle midfielder could be out for a sustained period over a number of weeks. But Arteta dismissed that notion and insisted they would check on him this week in the hope he would be available for their next game.
When asked if Bruno could be out for weeks, Arteta said: “No, no, no. We expect that not to be weeks at all. Let's see how he evolves this week.
“He didn't even want to stop. He wanted to carry on. Now we start to understand the character of the player, but I don't expect that to be a big issue.”
Arteta also played down suggestions they would make a mega move for Julian Alvarez after strong links in Spain with Atletico Madrid star. Arteta added: “As I said, I'm really happy with the squad that we have, and the main focus is to improve the players that we already have because we already have a lot of good teams.”
Coventry boss Frank Lampard admitted the game was a sharp lesson for his newly-promoted team. Lampard added: “It was tough, we don’t like the result and it was a big learning curve for the players. Arsenal away won’t define our season.
CARDIFF, WALES - AUGUST 16: Bruno Guimarães of Arsenal during the 2026 FA Community Shield match between Arsenal and Manchester City at Principality Stadium on August 16, 2026 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)
Bruno Guimaraes could return against Aston Villa (Image: Visionhaus/Getty Images)
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“They kept going. For a lot of the players, they had Premier League debuts. The noise before the start, I remember that noise and it’s very different to the Championship.
“You feel the level go up when you drive up to the Emirates. The players showed the right application and desire to compete. I have sympathy with the players. We played against the best today and now we have to find a way got improve.”