Arsenal have started their Premier League title defence with three senior players still on the injury list, although Mikel Arteta has now delivered encouraging news on Bruno Guimaraes.
The £75million summer signing missed Friday’s 3-0 victory over Coventry City, while Jurrien Timber and William Saliba remain unavailable with longer-term problems.
Here is the latest Arsenal injury news and what is currently known about when each player could return.
Bruno Guimaraes could return against Aston Villa
Guimaraes was left out against Coventry after suffering a groin problem during Arsenal’s Community Shield victory over Manchester City.
Initial reports suggested the Brazilian could miss several weeks, but Arteta has since played down those fears.
ReadArsenal reported on Saturday that Arteta does not expect Guimaraes to be sidelined for weeks.
The Arsenal manager said the midfielder will be assessed during the coming week after revealing Guimaraes had wanted to continue despite feeling discomfort.
That leaves Arsenal’s trip to Aston Villa on 31 August as a realistic target, although no return date has been confirmed.
The Gunners have a 10-day gap between the Coventry victory and their visit to Villa Park, giving Guimaraes valuable recovery time.
Arteta’s assessment is considerably more encouraging than the initial suggestion of a lengthy absence. The next indication should come when Arsenal return to training ahead of the Villa game.
Jurrien Timber still weeks away from Arsenal return
Timber’s recovery is further behind.
The Netherlands international has been managing a persistent groin problem since last season and missed the World Cup before undergoing further treatment during the summer.
Arteta revealed earlier this month that Timber was progressing well and working on the pitch but remained weeks away from returning.
Reuters reported before the Community Shield that the defender still required several weeks before he could rejoin full training.
Timber was again absent from Arsenal’s squad against Coventry, with the latest team-news assessment confirming he had still not returned to first-team training.
There is therefore no firm match pencilled in for his comeback.
Arsenal will be wary of accelerating his rehabilitation given the length of time the groin problem has already affected him.
William Saliba facing longest Arsenal absence
Saliba remains Arsenal’s most significant injury concern.
The centre-back suffered a back injury while representing France at the World Cup and returned to Arsenal for further assessment.
The club subsequently confirmed that surgery would not be required, but that Saliba would remain unavailable for an extended period.
ReadArsenal reported after that medical decision that Saliba was expected to miss several months.
Arsenal’s official medical update also confirmed that the defender would initially undergo a prolonged period of rest rather than surgery, while Arteta has since said the injury will take time to heal.
Recent team news continues to indicate that Saliba’s recovery is measured in months rather than weeks.
Arsenal have already reacted by strengthening their defensive options, with Ezri Konsa arriving from Aston Villa on Friday. Reuters reported that the move comes with both Saliba and Timber unavailable.
Guimaraes could therefore be the first of Arsenal’s injured trio to return.
Timber should follow later, while Saliba remains the player Arteta is likely to be without for the longest period.
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