Mikel Arteta provided the latest team news update in his pre-RC Lens press conference on Tuesday.
Fabio Vieira, who is currently serving a suspension for a red card in the Premier League, is allowed to play in the UEFA Champions League, but will miss Wednesday's match as "he’s been having some discomfort and we tried to have alternative treatment with him, and he wasn’t improving so we’ve sent him to see a specialist and that was to get an operation done in his groin, and we did that yesterday," Mikel said.
"We’re expecting him to be out for weeks now. We don’t expect him to do that [be back this side of the break], so let’s see how he evolves and obviously, the operation was done yesterday so we’re going to have to wait and see, but we will take it as it comes."
Mikel was also asked whether Emile Smith Rowe and Thomas Partey can come back into the fold before the January break.
"It is a possibility but it will depend on how they evolve," he said.
"Emile has been already on the pitch doing some jogging, so I don’t know how long it’s going to take. Normally he is a quick healer, and Thomas is the same. We have to make sure that when they come back they are at their best as well. We don’t want to rush them, but at the same time the team needs them because at the moment we are missing some key, key players."
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