Thomas Partey and Jurrien Timber were absent from Arsenal training on Tuesday to add to the Gunners' injury woes at the back.

Partey and Timber played as full-backs in Sunday's draw at Fulham with Ben White, Riccardo Calafiori, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Gabriel and Oleksandr Zinchenko already on the sidelines.

"We have to manage a lot of the players, some of them are not going to be fit, some of them are still a doubt," said Arteta, ahead of Arsenal's Champions League game with Monaco on Wednesday.

"We have 24 hours to make those decisions, hopefully the right ones."

In the draw at Fulham on Sunday, the Gunners played their ninth different defensive backline of the season.

Asked how difficult it is for Arsenal to play their best football given the number of defensive injuries, Arteta replied: "It is what is it. We have to accept the challenge and there's opportunities for other players to do that.

"In the ideal scenario, we have to be in charge of making those decisions, it is forcing us to make them for the wrong reasons. But as well, we need to accept the reality and move forward.

"I'm really happy the way we are playing. The good thing is it's not conditioning our team in such a way that we have to become a different team.

"I'm very pleased with that and the way it's adapting, people making the effort to play n different positions. Hopefully the ideal situation can come soon and we can do what we want."

The injury dilemma could give Kieran Tierney a rare Arsenal start after a long-term injury sustained at Euro 2024 with Scotland delayed his start to this season.

The left-back has not started for Arsenal since a 14-minute cameo at the Community Shield win over Manchester City in August of last year,

"Yeah he's ready, he's training really well," said Arteta.

"He's going to have an opportunity for sure, the way the team is looking at the moment. But he's earned it, he's behaved the way, the way he's been with us. When that happens, you have to give people opportunities."