Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta offers update on injuries ahead of Bournemouth clash

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has today offered an update on the status of his squad ahead of their trip to Bournemouth.

Speaking to the media, the Gunners boss said:

"Everybody is OK.

"As you saw, we had Cedric, Fabio and Emile play with the under-21s and they look fit, they trained with us all week so they are available for selection."

This confirmation comes from Arteta after Vieira and Smith Rowe played on Wednesday.

The U21s beat Swansea City U23s 2-1, with Vieira and Smith Rowe playing 45 minutes.

Cedric Soares also played the entire 90, scoring a beautiful free-kick during the game.

Vieira joined Arsenal in the summer from FC Porto, but has been struggling with an injury sustained before his signing.

The 22-year-old looked exciting for his first outing in Arsenal colours.

He started slow but grew into the game, providing some nice passes to his team-mates and getting on the end of some chances himself.

Arteta was asked about Vieira's position, with the midfielder appearing to play at right-wing:

"Fabio’s versatility is something that caught our eye and we believe that he is going to give us a lot of options.

"It’s about nurturing how they work together and the type of players that Fabio needs around him to exploit his qualities, which we feel in this side could be very powerful, so we will have to wait and see how that develops."

Smith Rowe has also been struggling with injuries, the second half of his season littered with set-backs.

The midfielder looked in fine form however, gliding across the pitch as Arsenal fans know he can.

Gabriel Martinelli's fine form is likely to keep Smith Rowe out of the starting line-up for now, but the 22-year-old presents an invaluable option from the bench.

Arsenal play Bournemouth on Saturday, in their third Premier League game of the season.

They will be hoping for a win against the Cherries as they look to continue their fine form, beating Crystal Palace and Leicester City already this season.