In the second round of the Premier League, Arsenal will play away against Aston Villa. Before the match, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta attended a press conference to answer media questions. The following is the first half of the press conference.

Before next Monday's game, I think there should be three more training sessions. So it's hard to reveal too much about the squad, but I understand that Nwaneri is currently on the training pitch because he's been training for five or six days. Can he play in Monday's game?

Yes, he can play. He's been training very hard and will be available for selection on Monday.

So if he makes his Arsenal debut, we might see him face his former club Aston Villa. Tell us about this deal. It seems like a very straightforward and smooth transfer.

Well, I'm not involved in specific transfer details. Our job is to identify players and unearth talent that we believe can improve the team. But, yes, ultimately the club signs a player because everyone is happy with the outcome.

There should be no obstacles in the transfer process, and there's no reason why this player shouldn't be treated kindly by the Villa fans.

I hope so. I don't know, but I believe Ezri will feel the same way because of everything he's done for this club, but obviously, that's not up to us.

Also, Bruno Guimarães has not been seen on the training ground yet. Does this mean his injury is more serious than you initially thought?

No, it's not. We've just been managing his workload over the past few days. He's had some training sessions on the pitch, but we need to control the load so that he can be in the best physical condition for Monday.

Is there a chance he'll play on Monday?

Yes, there's every chance he'll play.

I didn't see Gabriel Jesus on the training ground today. Is that right?

Yes.

Is this related to his future?

This is related to the number of players we currently have in the squad, and we are managing players with some personal circumstances individually.

By personal circumstances, do you mean he might leave the club?

Personal circumstances are personal circumstances, whatever they may be, and I think that's clear.

Also, another Gabi—Martinelli was training at the time, but our detective here with glasses saw him leave much earlier than other players. He started training at around 11 o'clock but left in a hurry at 12:20. Do you know where he went?

Haha, that's another personal situation we're dealing with. I think everyone knows and agrees how much we love Martinelli. Yes, whatever the final outcome, it will be based on everyone's consensus.

Last week you talked about how difficult it is to have certain conversations with players you love and have worked with. Have you also spoken to these two players?

Yes, of course. These conversations do exist, and they are two-way. But I'm very pleased with how these conversations are progressing, because I know what each other is thinking, and the words that come out of these conversations make me genuinely happy. But at some point, you inevitably need to have specific discussions and say things that sometimes sound a bit harsh.

Have you also had conversations with Alvarez?

I won't talk about this topic.

He's obviously a player you're very familiar with. Andrea Berta also signed him when he was at Atlético Madrid. Will this be part of the whole transfer rumor?

Yes, but I won't comment on any players who are not part of our team.

But on a different topic, one last question about transfers. There's only one more press conference before transfer deadline day. In general, when you sign a player, we know you need that player to be fully committed. Whether publicly or privately, they must genuinely want to join Arsenal. Will this always be the case?

Publicly, I never ask them to make a statement. I think it's more important to understand their true feelings privately, to confirm if they feel a unique sense of belonging, connection, and desire to join us, to confirm if they truly want to be part of our family.

One last question about transfers—I won't ask you something you'd be surprised to hear. Ethan Nwaneri's future should be clear. Are there any updates on his next destination?

No, no new news on that.

Hello, Mikel, nice to see you. I'd like to follow up on Alvarez, given some reports in the Spanish media. Do you watch the Spanish program "El Chiringuito"? Or are you familiar with it?

I know the show, but I don't watch it.

Well, one of their journalists, Josep Pedrerol, said you called him and he didn't answer. Is there any truth to this?

You know I won't comment on public statements, because if I responded to them every day, I'd probably have to do another job.

In terms of team injuries before this game, are there any updates on Jurrien Timber or Saliba?

Jurrien is recovering very well. Let's see how he is at the end of this week. This is his third consecutive week of outdoor training, and we've increased his training load. So he is on the right track to recovery. If all goes well, I think we can continue to increase his training intensity next week. Saliba is currently in a more conservative load management phase, so that will take some time.

You are in a very enviable position, seemingly having two players for every position on the field. Can you tell us about your decision-making process when making substitutions in the first game against Coventry? Because we didn't see Gyökeres play at all.

Well, for different reasons. Some of them are physical reasons, because some players can't play 90 minutes yet, and we don't want to overwork them. Other reasons are tactical considerations or my immediate intuition during the game, that's all.

Finally, on Monday you will face Unai Emery, who has had a difficult start to the season. Given how many players Villa have lost and the many uncertainties, how much do you sympathize with his situation? I know many managers want the transfer window to close as soon as possible.

Well, he is undoubtedly one of the most experienced and successful managers in the Premier League. Look at what they did last season and the incredible campaign they had. So, this is just an ordinary game, nothing more. I believe he will definitely be able to turn things around.

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