Mikel Arteta confirms Arsenal injury blow ahead of huge Man City clash

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Arsenal face Bournemouth this afternoon and Mikel Arteta has confirmed an injury blow just eight days before their potentially crucial Premier League clash with Manchester City.

Mikel Arteta has confirmed Martin Odegaard picked up "a little niggle" in the win over Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday as the Arsenal captain misses his side's clash with Bournemouth this afternoon.

City host the league leaders a week on Sunday in a game that could go a long way to deciding where the Premier League trophy heads this season.

Pep Guardiola provided an injury update at his pre-Chelsea press conference yesterday, with Ruben Dias, John Stones and Josko Gvardiol the only injury worries for the Blues. Meanwhile, Arsenal's problems continue to mount, with Odegaard the latest star to pick up a knock.

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He has not been named in the squad to face Bournemouth today, and Arteta confirmed ahead of the game that the club captain was missing through injury.

"Obviously he's a very important player for us but he had a little niggle in the midweek game and he wasn't available for today," Arteta told TNT Sports ahead of kick-off.

Bukayo Saka is another player who has struggled with injury problems of late, and he too is not fit enough to play today. "Obviously we're missing one of our best players for a long time now, Noni [Madueke] has had to deliver and he has started delivering," Arteta said of Saka's absence.

Asked how his side intend to approach today's game as they look to stretch their lead over City to 12 points, Arteta said: "As we always do; full domination, full gas, get our people right behind us and do what we've done for nine months."

City know they must win at Stamford Bridge tomorrow as they look to keep up the heat on Arsenal. If they can win their next two games City would be just six points behind the leaders with a game in hand.