Aston Villa have received mixed Arsenal injury news before the Premier League champions visit Villa Park on Monday night.
Bruno Guimarães remains a possible returnee after missing Arsenal’s 3-0 opening victory against Coventry City with a groin problem.
Mikel Arteta does not expect the £75million midfielder to remain unavailable for several weeks. His condition will instead be monitored before the trip to Villa, according to the latest Arsenal injury update.
William Saliba and Jurriën Timber are less likely to feature. Saliba has started a managed rehabilitation programme for a back injury, while Timber has not returned to group training following summer surgery.
Arsenal injury news could hand Ezri Konsa Villa debut
Those defensive absences contributed to Arsenal signing Ezri Konsa from Villa last week.
The England international completed his transfer only hours before the Coventry match and did not feature. He has since trained with his new teammates and could make his Arsenal debut against his former club.
Villa have already faced several selection decisions before the match, with João Gomes suspended and multiple players injured.
The possible return of Guimarães would strengthen an Arsenal midfield that performed convincingly without him on the opening weekend. However, Saliba and Timber’s continued absences would leave Arteta choosing between Konsa and Cristhian Mosquera alongside Gabriel.
Further updates are expected when both managers hold their pre-match press conferences. Aston Villa host Arsenal at 8pm on Monday.
