Arsenal have received a huge boost ahead of their crucial Premier League match with Manchester City on Sunday, with Pep Guardiola ruling out a key player for the champions.
While Bernardo Silva returned from an injury on Wednesday against RB Leipzig, Manchester City are already missing Rodri to suspension at the Emirates Stadium and Kevin De Bruyne to a long-term hamstring issue.
Though Arsenal already knew that Rodri and De Bruyne would be missing from Sunday's game, the fitness update of another key Manchester City player could provide further room for optimism among Gunners fans.
Speaking in his pre-match conference, Pep Guardiola admitted that while John Stones managed to feature on the bench in mid-week and earn a call-up to the England team, he isn't ready to play against Arsenal.
“He's not ready to play," Guardiola said. "Maybe for the national team, but not us.”
Guardiola, meanwhile, is still mulling over how to replace Rodri. Rico Lewis, who the Spanish manager lauded after his Champions League performance on Wednesday, started against RB Leipzig and impressed, while both Kalvin Phillips and Mateo Kovacic are available for the trip to the Emirates Stadium, too.
“We will see - we start to talk today with my staff,” Guardiola said. “This afternoon [Friday] I will analyse and prepare for the game on Sunday. Rodri is maybe the best or in the top two or three best holding midfielders in the world.
“Like I said he's not here and we'll have to find a solution with our players and how we want to play. Imagine what they can do... At the moment, in my mind, the player is out, and I don't think about it."
Despite this boost for Arsenal, Mikel Arteta has concerns to contend with himself. The fitness of Bukayo Saka is unclear after he limped off the pitch against Lens on Tuesday in the 34th minute, while Gabriel Martinelli is also likely to be missing for the visit of their title rivals.
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