Arsenal face an anxious wait to discover whether in-form left back Kieran Tierney will be available for their clash with Newcastle United after he missed the 0-0 Premier League draw with Crystal Palace on Thursday.
The 23-year-old Scot has been one of the Arsenal's most impressive performers in their recent resurgence but he was badly missed in an uninspiring stalemate.
Tierney was left out with a muscle problem and manager Mikel Arteta admitted his side suffered as a result.
"He is going to have an MRI scan and we'll see how he is," Arteta said after the draw which left Arsenal 11th in the table.
"He's a real threat and the way we are playing and the way we attack on that left side, he's a really important player.
"We didn't have him, he's injured, and we have to find other solutions."
While it was a disappointing end to their winning run, Arsenal kept a third successive league clean sheet and their first at home in the league all season.
Compared to where they were a month ago when a seven-match winless run, including five defeats, had some predicting a relegation battle, Arteta had reason to be upbeat.
"We took a point, another clean sheet which is really positive, but disappointing not to get the three points," the Spaniard said.
"The spirit and the attitude the team showed in tracking back, I think the boys were terrific there but we lacked that freshness today and that spark.
"We're making it really hard for the opponent. In the final third, we've progressed a lot but today there are things that we have to do better."
(Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Ed Osmond)
