Mikel Arteta has moved to allay fears over Arsenal star Kieran Tierney.
The Scotland international was due to start Saturday’s 2-1 win over West Ham United but complained of discomfort in the warm-up.
Tierney had an injury-ravaged first season at Arsenal last term and never really got going until football resumed in June.
Since then, the 23-year-old has proved himself as one of the Premier League’s most exciting young defenders.
Any injury to the former Celtic star would be devastating for not only him, but the Arsenal head coach who has come to rely on him these past few months.
But the Spaniard, speaking to the club’s official website, has revealed that Tierney is ‘fine’.
He said: “Kieran is fine. He had a little muscular discomfort in the last few days. He tried today and worked in the warm-up but he wasn’t feeling comfortable today.”
The fact that Tierney was even part of the squad, and deemed fit enough to warm up, is another really positive thing.
With his history, Arteta and Arsenal’s medical staff wouldn’t have allowed him anywhere near the first XI last night if it was a hugely serious issue.
He has already missed around nine months of his burgeoning Arsenal career through injury, so now is about making up for lost time for Tierney and the supporters will want to see him start against Liverpool at Anfield next Monday.
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