Mikel Arteta faced the media ahead of Arsenal's clash with Newcastle in the League Cup. The Gunners can take a strong hold of the tie with the first leg at home, but it will be no easy task against an in-form Magpies side.

Arteta was hurt further by the injuries to more players and confirmation that the illness remains a problem with the team. He was also clearly still impacted by the decision of the penalty at Brighton.

There was also time for talk about January and the reasons behind the club simply don’t jump at just any player. Here is every word from the press conference on Friday morning before the trip down to the south coast.

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Update on Nwaneri?

Unfortunately, he has picked up an injury and he is going to be out for a few weeks.

What’s the issue?

Muscular.

Havertz back?

I hope so but I don’t want to say yes because last time I said he was going to be fit and he wasn’t.

Still having issues with illness in the squad?

Yes.

Impacted on other players?

Hopefully not.

First chance of a trophy this season?

I’m very excited to play the game. Home crowd, semi-final, the opportunity to earn the right to be in a final. It starts tomorrow, two legs and it’s obviously going to be two long games against a very competitive team. We know that but very excited and we need a big, big atmosphere in our stadium.

What would a trophy do for this squad?

I don’t know. We have to win tomorrow. It is still far. Try to be better than the opposition and win the game.

Isak is a player you need to stop. Is he a player you like?

Obviously, he is a top player in top form, scoring a lot of goals. Trying to minimise the strengths of the opposition is a big part of the plan when playing any opponent.

Boost that Bruno is suspended?

I think about my players and the ones that we have available, and how to get the best out of them.

Brighton penalty – if more are given like that will it make defenders nervous about challenging in the box?

I gave my opinion. Unfortunately, we played twice (against) Brighton, one for no reason 45 minutes with ten men and another with a penalty that is clearly not a penalty, but those are the conditions that we played (with). We cannot change that.

With injuries and illness, it feels like you’re having less luck than compared to last season. Does it mean you’ll look to add in January?

That hasn’t changed. Again, the focus is on our players. Whatever is in the market we are very alert (to) but the priority is working with the players that we have at the moment. And tomorrow night is a big night for us.

Injuries, illness, suspensions…

Semi-final. Positive things.

Over two legs, should this be like every cup game?

It doesn’t matter, two beautiful games.

But in your opinion…

My opinion doesn't count, unfortunately, we have two. If I have to pick one? At home. That's what I would like.

On Newcastle and Eddie Howe's side?

I don't know, that's a question for him, they're a problem for everybody because they’re a really good side. They're really well coached they have really good individual players, the same as it is difficult to play against us.

We will hear what the referees will say in the stadium, are you looking forward to that?

Yeah, I think that any decision that brings clarity and communication is clear and transparent I think is helpful.

Brighton penalty, Joelinton ball hits him, lots of incidents across the weekend, how hard is it now for a top manager to coach your players on the laws of the game?

Work by the rules and try to coach what's on the rules and then obviously there is a part of them rules which is an interpretation and its not easy at all times for the referees to make that call. We have to understand that and coach them differently… it's impossible because we don't know that.

Not easy for you as well?

No, it links back to coaching because we don't coach any player to have their arms away from their body, or just to keep the ball when you know the opponent is away from you. So I think it's difficult for everybody, I think.

Have you enjoyed this season, it must be testing?

I love it. I mean, we are in all the competitions, we are where we want to be in most of them, obviously in the league there's been a lot of circumstances, we're not where we want to be which is top and I understand that and we work every day to try to be better to improve, and don't look for excuses. Because in anything you do you look for excuses you find them, these are challenges these are situations that we are facing and we are trying to do to overcome them and we are still a really good team?

Feels like every press conference we ask about a new injury, how are the players feeling about them?

No, we discuss about the situation obviously and we have to use players in positions they have probably not played before. But we are learning a lot from that, and what I learn about the willingness of the team, anyone on the field and them. So that's great as well to learn from the players.

A word on Kieran Tierney, any update?

No, no news. Kieran is our player.

Can you remember a run like this with injuries since been Arsenal manager?

Probably not.

How challenging for you as a coach to find solutions?

It's a very good learning process, not only tactically but with preparation and training with very few players. Today we had seven, eight players with us and just [had] to fill the squad, which is unknown. But it is a way to learn as well, this is how I take it. I cannot change it, so let's take the things that we can get out of them to be better.

How do you feel Merino's adaption to team is going?

I think the last two weeks he has made a big stride there. Obviously, he has had more continuity, more minutes. Physically he is in a much better place. He missed the whole pre-season and then he missed a lot of weeks with the injury, and you can tell that he is growing.

Two-legged game, how does preparation differ for these types of games?

Similar to the Champions League but the aim is always to win the game, to be better in your positions and earn the right to win the game. That’s not going to change because we have a lot of them?

The threshold to sign players is always very high for Arsenal, does the threshold to sign players in January loosen because you have to be more reactive?

In terms of quality and the level?

In how you look at a player?

Hopefully not. We set very high standards and we really only want to have players, if they come through the academy or we have to sign those players to really elevate and impact the team, otherwise bringing bodies it doesn’t help us.

Is tomorrow night a game where you're hoping the Emirates Stadium can play a big role?

Yeah, I admire the Emirates the most, 100%. The way we can feel at the Emirates with our people is incredible and very positive that tomorrow we’re going to create a big one against a really good opposition in the semi-final of the cup that we want to win, so let's go for it.

Nine games in January, three last year, you had a winter break, do you think it was a mistake in the scheduling not to have that?

Well, certainly, it would help every team and especially the players, because we are putting more games in the back of two seasons that they've been as well really really high in terms of numbers and demands to the players but we knew from the start that if you're in every competition then you're not going to have that break and that's how we prepare it as well.

Is the number of games affecting how you're playing for 90 minutes? Is it impossible to in the Premier League at you're a game, pressing?

Sometimes credit to the opposition as well because physically its extremely demanding, and the way we play as well when you have less players and this capacity to rotate becomes more difficult but the idea and the aim is to sustain that.

Blow for Ethan?

Yes. He didn't really know to be fair. He said, 'I am feeling something but I don't really know what it is'. He has earned the right to step up and play for us and now he has started some games, some big games and impacted those games in the way he has done in different positions, too. So I am gutted for him because the injury is going to stop that, but it is another step in that development phase that he is in. I am really happy with the way he is going.

When will Sterling be back?

Hopefully very soon.