Mikel Arteta has confirmed Ethan Nwaneri was taken off with a muscle injury in Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.

The winger had put Arsenal ahead on 16 minutes to score his second Premier League goal and fifth across all competitions this season. However, the 17-year-old was withdrawn at half-time despite having a positive shift.

It led to questions over the teenager's fitness, with the attacker starting successive top-flight games for the first time. And after the match, Arteta confirmed that Nwaneri had picked up a complaint during the first half.

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Speaking to Sky Sports, the Gunners boss admitted: “Unfortunately I think we lost him [Nwaneri] as well, so it’s another one but we carry on. What is his injury? I don’t know, it’s a muscular thing and we had to take him off.”

Nwaneri has played 18 matches this season but has only started the two most recent of his 12 league outings. He has only completed a full 90 minutes once - the 5-1 League Cup win over Bolton Wanderers in the League Cup - with Arteta using him sparingly given his tender age.

Arsenal have been struck by persistent injury setbacks this campaign and Nwaneri had been playing in the right wing role in the place of Bukayo Sake who is currently out with a hamstring injury. Saka required surgery on the muscle and will be absent for another two months at least.

Meanwhile, back-up Raheem Sterling is also out injured. Gabriel Martinelli had been trialled on the right flank against Ipswich Town before Nwaneri was given the nod in the position for the last two matches as Martinelli moved back over to the left.

Kai Havertz missed a second match through illness while Takehiro Tomiyasu is still sidelined and Ben White is not due back until March.