Arteta: Saliba injury forces Arsenal to seek defender

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta confirmed the club is actively pursuing a defensive signing ahead of Friday's Premier League opener against Coventry City, citing the long-term absence of William Saliba as the key driver.

"We have a really specific issue in the backline, especially with the long-term injury of Wilo and the fact that we miss one more defender; that's clear," Arteta told reporters at the Sobha Realty Training Centre on Thursday. "Whenever we're ready, we'll announce something."

Arteta declined to confirm how close a deal is, saying the outcome did not depend solely on the club. He remained confident a reinforcement would arrive before the transfer window closes.

On the season opener against Frank Lampard's promoted Coventry side, Arteta was guarded despite Arsenal's strong record against newly promoted clubs at home. "Every game is different and we're going to face a really tough opponent," he said, adding that Lampard's work at Coventry was "remarkable" and "unbelievable."

Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice were both confirmed fit and available for Friday's match, while Jurrien Timber remains sidelined and is not yet training with the group. Bruno Guimaraes, who joined in the summer, is evolving well but his availability for the opener is uncertain.

Arteta confirmed Myles Lewis-Skelly will remain an Arsenal player at the end of the transfer window, describing the academy product's future at the club as "100%" certain. He also stressed the importance of retaining academy graduates, saying such players bring "value that is very difficult to find."

On the pressure of defending the Premier League title, Arteta said the squad must reset entirely. "From today we start from scratch, from zero, and we're going to have to prove we have the level to go back to that position again," he said.