Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has admitted that he does not expect Alexandre Lacazette or Kieran Tierney to be fit in time for Thursday's Europa League semi-final second leg with Villarreal.
The Gunners boss initially claimed that all of his players were in contention for last week's first leg, but Tierney and Lacazette ultimately did not make the cut.
Neither player was passed fit for Sunday's 2-0 win at Newcastle United either, and Arteta was not able to provide a positive update on the pair when asked about their absences.
Speaking to Sky Sports News, Arteta said: "They haven't trained with us yet so it is very unlikely to have them ready in the next few games."
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang returned to the starting lineup with the Gunners' second goal at St James' Park, but David Luiz's comeback ended prematurely with a suspected hamstring problem.
Arsenal welcome Villarreal to the Emirates after losing the first leg 2-1 in Spain, during which Manu Trigueros and Raul Albiol netted before Nicolas Pepe's penalty kept the Gunners' hopes of reaching the final alive. body check tags ::
