Every word Mikel Arteta said on Arsenal injuries, Saka's contract, Crystal Palace and PSG

Mikel Arteta has spoken to the press before Arsenal's match against Crystal Palace on Wednesday night. It is his team's final game before hosting Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League next week.

The Arsenal head coach has the task of trying to push the Premier League title a little further down the line - Liverpool will be crowned champions on Wednesday if Arsenal lose - He is also balancing injury concerns but a lack of players to rotate with.

Palace themselves are in a similar situation with the FA Cup semi-final taking priority this week. They will play Aston Villa at Wembley on Saturday.

READ MORE:

READ MORE:

Here, football.london has every word

How is Bukayo Saka after he was seen with ice on his ankle?

Yeah, we have to wait and see now how he reacts after the session, but he's nothing too serious.

Do you mean there is a good chance he will be selected to be involved tomorrow night?

Yeah, if we want to, I think he would have a good chance to play tomorrow.

And it's too soon for Riccardo Calafiori and Jorginho?

Yeah, Riccy is out and Jorgi unfortunately as well. I think Jorgi will be out for a few weeks.

Given the form you're in, would you rather have this six days off, or would you prefer to keep the momentum going with the PSG game coming a bit sooner?

It's what we have, let's take the opportunity, first of all, and earn right to win the game tomorrow against a really good side, that have a really good record away from home as well. And I said, I will have time to prepare the game really well.

Does that gap and those six days make an impact on your team selection?

We have more days but the amount of options we have is not that many. Especially because of where some other players are coming and the amount of minutes that they can play, but it's good to have a little gap, because we are, we are really short in numbers.

At the weekend you experimented in midfield without without Thomas Partey. Would that be something you could consider doing again, given his suspension?

Yeah, well, the reason for it was because Thomas wasn't available to start the game. At the end, we decided not even to play [him] because he wasn't feeling particularly well. So we have some options. We have the opportunity to experiment but we have all this as well.

Can I just waste another five or six seconds by asking if there's any update on his contract situation?

On Thomas, you can waste many minutes with Andrea [Berta] if you want.

if you lose tomorrow, Liverpool will win the title. Virgil van Dijk has said that all players are going to watch it together. They might have a bit of champagne on ice, just in case. Is that an incentive? Is that part of your team talk?

Our incentive is to win our game and do our best to continue with the run that we are in right now, the rest we cannot control.

Do you like a bit of 'housery', what we call 'housery'?

What does that mean?

Like trying to take a bit of a sly advantage of situations so another team suffers.

Another team suffers? That's naughty.

if you do lose tomorrow night, would the edge of the disappointment would be taken off because Tottenham on Sunday would have to give a guard of honour for Liverpool?

I think you're going too far and too focused on their match.

Talking about guard, [Martin] Odegaard, his numbers were great at the week, and given he's had a difficult season, how impressed are you with him at the moment?

Yeah, he was great. I think he was really good in the match. I think he affected the game in the way that we want. And when you look at the numbers he provided, he was exceptional. So that's the level that we matched.

Jack Wilshire, there's been some bad news for a manager at Norwich, but it means that Jack gets a chance to step in as head coach, at least until the end of the season. You know him well as a coach and as a player, are you thinking that he could do a good job?

Yeah, well, I wish him the best obviously, he's decided to accept the role with the with the games that are left, the same with Aaron [Ramsey] as well. This is very, very good to see some ex-teammates taking important roles in management. So, wishing the best to both of them.

Gabriel Martinelli, 50 goals for Arsenal, he got that crucial winner against Real Madrid, and then involved in the goals at the weekend against Ipswich. Do you feel he's been a bit overlooked, especially with the role he played when Bukayo Saka was injured?

Certainly not by us. But you know, when you look at the consistency shown over the last few years and the amount of goals he has scored at his age, and the contribution to a big club like Arsenal is not easy at all. So, I think he's in the right path.

He's a fantastic player to work with, his work ethic, his understanding, his desire to play every minute of every competition. That's the kind of characters and leaders that we want in the team. And I'm very, very happy with him.

Looking ahead to the game tomorrow, how do you feel Oliver Glasner is doing now that he's managed to adjust to the pace of the league?

Unbelievable job. job. I think where he is taking the team and the club and the position they are in right now, I think they fully deserve it. I think it's giving the team a very clear identity.

I think he's maximised the squad and the ability of that squad. And they are really tough opponents, really well coached. I think he's got a very clear mentality of how he wants to approach games and they are very competitive.

I mean, to reach their position there and the table and where they are in the in the FA Cup, certainly is not a coincidence, and I think they deserve it.

You said, a very tough opposition, but you've beaten them home and away in the last six meetings, and the last meeting this season was one of the best results for the club, 5-1. What did you like in particular about that performance?

Well, a lot of things. I mean, to get a result like that in the Premier League you have to get a lot of things, right. We have to try to replicate those. But again, I said, it's a really difficult opponent.

When you look at the games and what they've done away from home, especially as well, against the standard of opposition, [it's] impressive. So tomorrow we're going to have to be really good.

You have a big game against PSG and we saw Saka be kicked on Sunday, so is there any temptation to wrap players you need in cotton wool?

We cannot think in those terms. I think when the players are fit and they are available and they want to play, they have to play. And they are at their best when they are playing and they have consistency in their performances and physically, they are good. Emotionally, they are good.

Their understanding and their rhythm and then the way they make decisions is at their best, and that's what we need. If they are not available, there's no discussion, and they are not in good condition to perform, we're not going to play them. But if they are, we are going to play them.

But you would be kicking yourself, wouldn't you, if you played somebody like Saka, William Saliba, David Raya, someone you desperately needed and they got injured, you would never forgive yourself, would you?

I mean, but we have the players that we have. If I'm thinking of those terms all the time, I could not play any player. If I rested too much the players, and then when they come to the moment they are not ready because they don't have the competitiveness and the rhythm...

Palace have the same scenario with Wembley on Saturday. So do you expect Palace to be in the same position because it's one of those funny games.

It is, and there's always a balance that obviously you want to balance the risk and make sure that you are sensible with your decision making. That's what we have, as well, a very focused staff to guide us and to tell us what we should be doing and what the risk is when we do that. B

But unfortunately, football, you know, anything can happen, and they gave me stats when the game finished, to write the story of what should have happened, you know. And that's easy, so do it before.

You've already mentioned Jack Wilshire and Aaron Ramsey, but firstly, is your phone on if they want to ring you for advice? And secondly, how many current players do you think want to go into management when they finish? Is still something that players want to do when they finish in football?

Well, I hope so. That means that they have a passion for the game, and they want to be in different roles. It doesn't have to be management. It can be in any other role, but that means that it's something ignited within them and the game, and it's great. I feel so happy to see those two doing that, and I hope that it goes really, really well for them.

Are you confident and hopeful that Jorginho's season isn't over?

I hope so, but I'm not certain. So we have to see how he works in the next few days, I would say, a few weeks. So the doctor was quite cautious still about talking about any dates. So let's see. Good news is that he's improving. He's feeling much better. It was a quite scary situation, and he's in a good place now.

How much of a concern are Calafiori's injuries?

Well three of the injuries, obviously, they are impact injuries. One is a really bad twist that could have been worse, to be fair, and it's managing the player as well. So now we learn many more things about the player and how we can be much more on top of certain situations to try to prevent them. But it's true that the two main ones, they've been really unlucky and very little that we could have done differently.

Just another one on Jack and Aaron, you've seen Jack close up so was it something that surprised you when you saw the news about Aaron taking charge as interim?

Well, yes, because I don't have the close contact like I have with Jack, and I was very clear with Jack's intentions, but with Aaron I don't know. It doesn't surprise me, because obviously, with his experience, where he's been, and what he's done in the game, if he wants to, he's able to do it. We all have different characters and he's decided to do it. Very brave decision.

We talk about cycles in football with Pep [Guardiola], Vincent Kompany, Xavi, and Xabi Alonso, are we starting to see that for Arsene [Wenger] now?

Well, hopefully, I think I said he should be very proud that he had three players under him that I think he inspired. And he helped us to ignite again, this love for the game that we want to continue what he did in the past.

Is there a reason for your variation in taking more short corners?

Yes. I mean, when the team adapts to do something, the weaknesses will be somewhere else, and that's our job to try to analyse that and exploit it as good as we can.

With Myles Lewis-Skelly, have his performances at left-back made that his best position for the rest of his career?

I wouldn't go that far. I think, for now, and what he's providing to the team and the needs that we have and the role that we asked for that full back, Probably, yes. But he stepped into midfield the other day, and he looked very, very comfortable.

It's where he's played his whole career, and he's good, another player that can play different positions at the highest level. So very good news.

Is he one of the possible replacements for Partey?

Yeah, he can play as a No.8, he can play as a No.6, he's played there before many times, and he has the qualities to do that, yes.

Has Saka surprised you at all with how quickly he has gotten back up to speed?

That's what you are hoping for, and the way he's prepared, he was giving good signs that he could impact the game like he normally does. But obviously, to be playing at that level after missing three, three and a half months, it's not that easy at all. So credit to him and all the staff that work with him.

And on his future? Would you like to see his new deal signed this summer?

Yeah, when the time comes we'll have those conversations and I'm sure the club is very on top of it. I think Bukayo has been very clear what his intention is as well. So I think everything is in the right place.