Mikel Arteta has admitted that Arsenal new boy Fabio Vieira is struggling with a foot injury, disrupting his first pre-season with the Gunners.
Vieira signed for the Premier League giants last month, making the switch from FC Porto in a deal which could eventually rise to around £34million. There are high hopes for the creative midfielder, who is expected to make an instant impact within Arteta’s top-four chasing squad.
However, Vieira has yet to make his bow for Arsenal, with his new team-mates registering wins over FC Nurnberg and Everton thus far. The 22-year-old wasn’t involved during the 2-0 win over the Toffees in Baltimore, with goals from Gabriel Jesus and Buakyo Saka earning them a victory.
In the build-up to the game, Vieira had been training away from the main group, along with full-backs Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney. And speaking after the win in the early hours of Sunday morning, Arteta revealed the player was nursing a bone injury in his foot.
“He had a slight problem in his bone (in his foot) and hopefully he will start to train in the next week or so,” the Spaniard said. “We have Kieran with a slight problem, we have Emile [Smith Rowe] as well with a muscular niggle, Tomiyasu as well and Ben [White]. The rest are fine but it’s a matter of days with those guys.”
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At the start of this month, Vieira was spotted with a protective boot on his left foot, but has since moved to quell any fears he could miss the start of their Premier League campaign in August.
“It's a small injury I got with the national team one month ago,” he told the Athletic. “Now I feel really good. I'm not training 100 per cent yet, but I'm running. Day after day, I'm improving. And in a few days, I'll be back in full training with my team-mates.”
Vieira has also issued a message to his new boss, to confirm he would prefer to operate as a No.10, where he can create chances and score goals, having registered 20 goal contributions (14 assists, 6 goals) in his final season in Portugal.
“I’m an offensive player,” he added. “I like to make the last pass, and to help team-mates to score. And I like to score goals too.
“The manager told me he knows I can play as a midfielder — No 8, No 10 — or on the wing, left side or right side. They know I am a versatile player. I prefer No 10. It’s my real position.”
The Gunners take on Orlando City on Thursday morning, before rounding off their tour of the United States with a game against Chelsea in Florida next weekend. They will then return to north London to play Sevilla at the Emirates, before they kick off the new Premier League season on August 5 with a trip to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace.
