Arsenal injury and team news: Nwaneri, Martinelli and Saka updates from Arteta | OneFootball

Mikel Arteta confirmed that Ethan Nwaneri is able to be involved against Nottingham Forest having been taken off in the defeat to West Ham with cramp.

The 17-year-old was forced off late on in the 1-0 defeat but speaking ahead of Arsenal’s visit to the City Ground, Arteta said: “Ethan, he was just cramping. Obviously his load has been very different in recent weeks but he’s fine.”

Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli remain out for the long-term as they recover from hamstring injuries but Arteta says both are progressing well in the hope that they can still play a part this season.

He said: “Bukayo and Gabi (Martinelli) are progressing really well but are still a bit far to come back.”

Kai Haverz, Gabriel Jesus and Takehiro Tomiyasu remain sidelined for the rest of the season with injuries, while Myles Lewis-Skelly is suspended for Wednesday’s clash having been sent off against the Hammers.

Arteta opted to start Mikel Merino as a striker against West Ham given Arsenal’s injury crisis in attack.

It followed a double from the Spaniard against Leicester City but despite admitting starting him in an unfamiliar role did not work in their recent loss, the Gunners boss insists it remains an option for the rest of the season.

“Yeah, in relation to the opposition and the options that we have and then what the team generates as well,” he said.

“So especially attacking players depend a lot on what the team is generating, the chemistry on there, the fluidity, the areas that we are hitting, how we interact with each other.

“And he worked really well against Leicester and he didn’t work that well the other day because there were a lot of things missing.

“We didn’t put West Ham in the ropes that we had to, especially with the amount of time and space that we have in certain areas.

“We weren’t good enough, especially with the ball and the way we defended the box in two situations that could have cost us the game and that one of them cost us the game. Very clear, we had to set very different standards and we didn’t.

“Were they better than us, watching them back twice? They deserved to win the game, really had doubts about that. But looking at ourselves, we could have done much, much better, that’s for sure.”