“He will be assessed again in the next days” - Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta conforms 30-year-old star sidelined through knee injury

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has revealed that on-loan forward Raheem Sterling is set for a spell on the sidelines after picking up a knee injury. The former England international adds to the worries of the Spanish manager, who lost star forward Bukayo Saka to injury at the weekend.

In what has increasingly become a rare sight, Sterling featured from the start as the Gunners overcame Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup on December 18. He was taken off after 70 minutes with the scores level, with Saka taking his place on the pitch. The 30-year-old was absent from the squad for the game against Palace in the league on Saturday, raising questions for the manager.

Arteta provided an update on the status of the Chelsea man in an interview, pointing out that he had suffered a knee injury. The Spanish manager revealed that he will miss a number of weeks with the injury, which will be re-assessed in the coming days, saying (via Fabrizio Romano on X):

"Raheem Sterling will also be out for weeks. He’s suffered an injury, it’s his knee. He will be assessed again in the next days to understand how long he will be out."

Raheem Sterling's loan move to Arsenal has not gone to plan so far, with only 426 minutes under his belt since making the switch. The former Manchester City man has made just five starts for the side, completing 90 minutes only once, in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup against Preston North End.

Sterling backed himself to thrive in north London after Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca declared him surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge at the start of the season.

With only 11 appearances to his name, the experienced forward has one goal and two assists for the Gunners. He may not return to action until the second half of the campaign.

Arsenal eyeing surprise swoop for unsettled Barcelona star - Reports

Arsenal are looking to make a surprise move to sign Barcelona midfielder Dani Olmo in the January transfer window, as per a report from Eurosport. The Gunners have been linked to the Spanish midfielder amid the uncertainty surrounding his future with Barcelona.

Olmo joined the Spanish giants from RB Leipzig in the summer but had to wait for over a month before he could make his debut due to registration issues. The Spanish outfit registered him until December 31 and have financial constraints which have made them unable to register him for the second half of the campaign.

Arsenal and Manchester City are among the sides who may look to swoop for the Spain international if he becomes available for free in the winter. Barcelona are scrambling to try and keep the midfielder, who has five goals in ten league appearances this season.