Mikel Arteta gives update on Arsenal squad after Gabriel not spotted in training

Gabriel and William Saliba have been key to Arsenal’s success this season (Picture: Getty)

Mikel Arteta hopes he will have a fully fit squad to choose from ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash against Aston Villa.

The Gunners are entering the decisive point in their season with major domestic and European honours still up for grabs.

Much of Arsenal’s success this season has been built on the central defensive partnership of Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba.

The Brazil international, however, has been nursing an Achilles problem over the course of the last month.

Gabriel was absent from part of Arsenal’s training session on Friday, but Arteta will give the former Lille defender every opportunity to prove his fitness.

We’ve got one more day to prepare for the match and we’ll see tomorrow if everybody is available,’ said Arteta when asked about Gabriel’s absence from training.

Asked if there any fresh injury doubts following Tuesday’s 2-2 draw against Bayern, Arteta added: ‘We have some but hopefully with another day, we’re going to be okay.’

Jurrien Timber is closing in on making his Arsenal comeback (Picture: Getty)

Sunday’s vital game against Villa will, however, come too soon for Jurrien Timber who is close to making his comeback from the injury he sustained on the opening day of the campaign.

‘He’s still got a few steps to make,’ said Arteta. ‘He needs to play a game, at least with the under-21s and he’s going to have an in-house game soon as well.

‘He’s done everything in training, now it’s getting that match fitness and having people around him to start competing in a full match which is different to training.

‘Hopefully (he will bring) a lot. Everything that we’ve seen training and in the time he was fit, I think he’s going to have a big impact on the team.’

Sunday’s opponents Villa, meanwhile, are likely to be missing a number of key players, while Unai Emery is likely to rotate his own team given their Europa Conference League quarter final tie against Lille is still in the balance.

‘We always try to use things to our advantage,’ said Arteta, on Villa’s injury concerns.

‘We don’t know what they are going to do and that’s nothing we can control. They still won last night and they are a really good side, so we know the danger and we know our strengths as well, and we’ll try to do what we have to do to win.’

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