"He is starting to give me big headaches" - Mikel Arteta makes bold claims about Arsenal star

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been effusive in his praise of Fabio Vieira and has expressed his desire to give the Portuguese midfielder more minutes.

Arsenal shelled out £34 million to secure Vieira's services last summer, but the 22-year-old has seen the majority of his Premier League appearances come off the bench.

Despite his limited opportunities, Vieira has shown glimpses of his quality whenever he has been given a chance to impress off the bench. However, the Portuguese midfielder was hindered by a pre-season injury and has taken some time to adapt to the Premier League.

But the Arsenal boss was quick to underline Vieira's potential in his press conference yesterday, hailing him as a "tremendous player". Speaking to the press, Arteta said (via TBR Football):

“Very close (to fully adapting). He is starting to give me big headaches because I see every single day what he is capable of doing. A tremendous player!"

He added:

“He now understands exactly what we want and physically he is in a condition to compete at the right level in this league. He brings qualities that we don’t have in the squad. So, very eager to give him more (chances).”

However, with Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, and Granit Xhaka all in scintillating form for the Gunners, Vieira has had to bide his time on the bench.

But the Portuguese midfielder demonstrated his impact off the bench against Aston Villa last weekend. He could be in line for another opportunity when the current league leaders take on Leicester City later today.

As Arteta looks to manage his squad through a hectic schedule, Vieira could be a valuable asset for the Gunners. With his creativity and versatility, the Portuguese international has the potential to significantly impact the season's closing stages.

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta discusses Gabriel Jesus injury

In his press conference, the Gunners boss revealed that his star striker Gabriel Jesus was making progress following an injury that has kept the Brazilian out since the World Cup.

Arteta revealed (via Arsenal.com):

"He’s progressing really well. He’s doing more and more on the field and he’s not reacting [negatively], so that’s really positive. We want to have him as quickly as possible but also respect the timeframe we got from the doctor and the specialists. He’s really pushing the boundaries right now."