Mikel Arteta has offered a lesser-considered explanation for Kieran Tierney 's Arsenal fitness troubles - the London weather.
The left-back limped off after 70 minutes of the Gunners' 2-0 win at Southampton on Thursday just two games after returning from an extended lay-off.
Before making his return against Manchester City in the Premier League 's first "Project Restart" fixture, the Scotland defender had not appeared since sustaining a long-term shoulder injury in December.
But Arteta has revealed that his newest problem was nothing more than cramp and that he should be fit for Sunday's FA Cup quarter-final at Sheffield United.
The Arsenal manager believes the difference in climate between Glasgow and the south of England are another hurdle for the former Celtic star to overcome.
Arteta said: "Kieran was cramping.
"He hasn't played two games together in the last seven or eight months and he was suffering.
“The weather is different to Scotland and he needs to adapt to it.”
Tierney has endured an injury plagued spell since joining Arsenal last summer having dislocated his shoulder last December and also suffering hip and thigh problems.
