Mikel Arteta has delivered an update on the condition of Ethan Nwaneri after the 17-year-old was forcibly withdrawn in Saturday's chastening 1-0 loss to West Ham United.
The 2007-born prospect unsurprisingly held his place on the right flank for the visit of the Irons after producing a man-of-the-match display in last weekend's 2-0 win over Leicester City.
Nwaneri was compared to Lionel Messi by Chelsea great Joe Cole after registering one assist and seven successful dribbles at the King Power Stadium, but he was unable to influence Saturday's game in the same way.
The England Under-19 international only had one shot, completed two dribbles and created one chance in the London derby, where he also lost eight of his 10 ground duels as he struggled to get the better of fellow teenager Oliver Scarles.
Nwaneri then limped off in the 81st minute to be replaced by Raheem Sterling, sparking fears of yet another attacking injury for a ravaged Arsenal, but Arteta allayed such concerns at full time.
Arteta not worried about Nwaneri injury
© Imago
Asked if Nwaneri had suffered an injury in his post-match press conference, the Arsenal manager replied: "Hopefully not, it was just fatigue I think."
While Arteta was able to deliver a reassuring update on Nwaneri's condition, there was nothing else for the Gunners boss to be positive about after his side suffered their first Premier League home defeat of the season.
Arsenal were toothless in attack from the start and were punished just before half time, as man-of-the-match Aaron Wan-Bissaka sent in a wonderful ball for Jarrod Bowen to meet with a diving header from a few yards out.
With so few offensive options off the bench, the Gunners' existing attacking contingent continued to struggle against a resolute West Ham backline, who only faced two shots on target despite the hosts having 20 attempts overall.
Arsenal also lost Myles Lewis-Skelly to a second-half red card and failed to make the most of having 68% of the ball, leaving Arteta infuriated at full time, adding: "Very disappointed. Very angry. I think you have to congratulate West Ham but a lot from our side we didn't get right. I never felt that we were at the standard and the level that we needed."
Arteta refutes striker transfer argument after West Ham loss
© Iconsport
The Gunners boss opted to experiment with Mikel Merino up top from the first whistle after his brace in the win at Leicester, but the Spain international was a shadow of the super sub from last weekend, missing one big chance and firing his only two shots off target.
Still missing Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus, Arteta was also asked whether his side's decimated attack could be blamed for their failure to break down the Irons after their quiet January.
However, the 42-year-old emphatically refuted such suggestions, responding: "I refuse that completely, I'm talking about the standards of the players and the team that played. Me included. That was nowhere near the level needed to win the Premier League."
Arsenal remain eight points behind Liverpool in the Premier League standings following Saturday's dismal derby defeat, giving the Reds the chance to move 11 points clear with victory over Manchester City on Sunday.
Lewis-Skelly's sending-off for denying Mohammed Kudus a clear goalscoring opportunity also means that the left-back will miss Wednesday's trip to high-flying Nottingham Forest.
Ben Knapton
