Mikel Arteta will miss Arsenal’s game with Man City on New Year’s Day after testing positive for COVID-19.
The Gunners released a short statement on Wednesday confirming their manager has the virus.
Arteta has tested positive for coronavirus and will miss Arsenal’s home game with Man CityGETTY
The statement read: “Mikel Arteta will miss our match against Manchester City on New Year’s Day after testing positive for COVID-19.
“Mikel is isolating in line with Government guidelines and we wish him well.”
It will be a blow for Arsenal to have their manager absent from the game at the Emirates on Saturday.
It follows a huge increase in COVID cases in the Premier League with a record 103 positive tests announced in the latest set of figures.
The north London side have been in brilliant form of late, winning their last five games in all competitions.
Arteta previously tested positive for COVID-19 in March 2020 at the beginning of the pandemicGETTY
They are up to fourth in the Premier League, but still 12 points off table-toppers City.
It is the second time Arteta has tested positive for the virus, having previously done so in March 2020.
He was one of the first big names in sport to get coronavirus, and shortly after the whole game shut down for several weeks.
Arteta tested positive on March 12 and the following day the league was put on hold.
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