Mikel Arteta tackles Arsenal's defensive injury crisis ahead of Monaco game

Mikel Arteta praised his Arsenal side for how they have dealt with a defensive injury crisis as he prepares to face Monaco in the Champions League on Wednesday. The Gunners are seventh in the new-look Champions League format after three wins in five matches – one place above the Ligue 1 team. But Arteta, whose players are also third in the Premier League, is struggling with a long list of injuries. Gabriel Magalhaes and Ricardo Calafiori, who both missed Sunday's draw at Fulham, were absent from Tuesday's training session along with Oleksandr Zinchenko, Jurien Timbers and Thomas Partey. Right-backs Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu are still absent with knee injuries.

“We have to manage a lot of players, so they probably won't be fit for tomorrow and there are doubts,” Arteta said in his pre-match press conference on Tuesday.

“I still have 24 hours to make those decisions and hopefully make the right ones… In the ideal scenario, we have to be in charge of making those decisions because it's forcing us to do it for the wrong reasons , But at the same time, we have to accept the reality and move forward.”

Arsenal had faltered early last month but had won four consecutive games in all competitions before being held to a 1-1 draw on Sunday.

But the Spaniard said he was pleased with how his men coped in the absence of an organized back line.

He added, “The good news is that the team still responds and plays the way we want it to and becomes so dominant, and we want to do that no matter who plays and I think the belief is there in the team.” “It's in and it's really positive.” ,

Arteta said defender Kieran Tierney has a chance to return – the 27-year-old Scotland international has yet to feature this season.

“He's ready and he's been training really well and looking at the way the team is looking at the moment, he'll definitely get a chance,” he said.

“It is for this reason and also because he has earned it by his behavior and the way he lives with us.”