Mikel Arteta remains tight-lipped about David Raya’s fitness ahead of Arsenal’s Premier League clash against Leicester City.
A final decision on the Spanish goalkeeper’s availability won’t be made until tomorrow morning.
Raya sustained a thigh injury during last Sunday’s hard-fought 2-2 draw against Manchester City, which also caused him to miss the midweek Carabao Cup victory over Bolton Wanderers.
On a positive note for Arsenal, defenders Jurrien Timber and Ben White are expected to return to the lineup after training with the squad on Friday.
However, midfielder Mikel Merino is still unavailable for selection, and captain Martin Odegaard will remain sidelined until after the international break.
Arteta said: “We have to wait another 24 hours.
“We have to wait 24 hours to see if it’s looking good or not that good.
“It’s about a player being fit and available or not.
“When we have that clarity for Leicester we will make that decision tomorrow.”
“The team has coped exceptionally well,” Arteta said of the impact a host of injuries has had on his squad, which remains unbeaten seven games into the campaign in all competitions.
“They embraced the challenge and I’m happy for that.”
With the fallout from that draw still ongoing, the Gunners’ boss will be determined to secure a straightforward win against Steve Cooper’s visitors.
If Raya is unavailable, recent signing Neto is expected to start in goal. Neto joined from Bournemouth on deadline day after Aaron Ramsdale’s move to Southampton.
Due to being cup-tied – having played for Bournemouth in the second round against West Ham – Neto was ineligible to play midweek.
As a result, 16-year-old Jack Porter became Arsenal’s youngest-ever first-team player.
Arteta said of the new addition: “We had to react quickly with the departure of Aaron.
“We had him on our list for a few years.
“We believed he was the right player because he was in the Premier League and had experience and we can put him in in the right moment.”
Arteta was also asked whether he feels there is an agenda against the Gunners following recent criticism of their approach against City.
“No,” he said.
“But I heard a lot of positive things as well.
“If we get negative criticism for where we are and what we’ve been through these past few games that that tells you where the expectations are.”
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