Arsenal defender Nacho Monreal will miss the first North London derby of the season after being ruled out for a further two weeks with a hamstring injury.
Monreal hasn't played since Arsenal's 5-1 win over Fulham on October 7, having picked up the knock in that match at Craven Cottage.
Setback for Monreal - Not due back to full training for another two weeks from his hamstring injury. Mavropanos' return also pushed back to December.
— Charles Watts (@charles_watts) 23 November 2018
He has missed Arsenal's last four Premier League matches and the Evening Standard reports that he is unlikely to return until at least the second week of December.
This news, though not necessarily unexpected, is a blow to Unai Emery, whose side face three tough tests in their upcoming Premier League fixtures, starting with a trip to high-flying Bournemouth on Sunday.
After a Europa League meeting with Vorskla Poltava in Ukraine, the Gunners host Tottenham at the Emirates Stadium on December 2, before an away match at Manchester United three days later.
Emery will hope to have Monreal back for the trip to Old Trafford but the home match against Huddersfield on December 8 is a more likely return date.
Arsenal have a number of defensive injuries to contend with at the moment. Right back Stephan Lichtsteiner will be assessed ahead of this weekend's match at the Vitality Stadium, while Laurent Koscielny and Konstantinos Mavropanos remain sidelined.
In four games without Monreal, Arsenal's form has dropped off a bit, with just one win in that time. Draws with Crystal Palace, Liverpool and Wolves have seen the Gunners slip to fifth in the table, but they remain unbeaten since August.
The North London derby on December 2nd is the first of two that month, with the two sides meeting again at the same venue in the EFL Cup on December 19th.
Source : 90min