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Arteta issues injury update on Arsenal defender

Rob Holding, Arsenal
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The Gunners defender was forced off late in the defeat to Manchester City.

Rob Holding will most likely miss only a ‘few days’, says Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta after the defender’s head injury in Sunday’s 1-0 home defeat to Manchester City.

Holding, who was part of the five changes Arteta made to his line-up from last week’s 1-1 Europa League draw with Benfica, got accidentally hit on the head by Joao Cancelo’s boots. Therefore, David Luiz replaced him in the 83rd-minute in a concussion substitution.

But while the 25-year-old may miss some training this week, Arteta assured the player’s injury isn’t serious.

“That’s a call that has to be given by the doctor and that’s the communication that we got with him, so we decided to make the concussion sub,” said the head coach in a post-match conference on Sunday evening.

“That’s what they told me (that Holding had a concussion) so if that’s the case he will miss a few days [of training] I think.”

Holding will hope to make a quick recovery for Arsenal’s return leg against Benfica in the Europa League last-32 tie on Thursday.

A clean sheet in Greece will be enough to send the Gunners through to the next round on an away goal ruling.

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