Arsenal's Kieran Tierney misses out against Aston Villa with bruised ankle

Arsenal have confirmed that Kieran Tierney is absent from the squad to face Aston Villa due to a bruised ankle.

The ex-Celtic man was a notable absentee from the first XI against Dean Smith's side, with Nuno Tavares earning a full Premier League debut in his place.

Mikel Arteta did not specifically report an injury for Tierney in his pre-match press conference, but it has now been revealed that the left-back is nursing an ankle bruise.

As a result, Tierney joins Granit Xhaka on the sidelines for this contest, and the severity of his injury is unclear at this point, but Bukayo Saka has made the first XI after shaking off a calf problem.

Furthermore, Arteta has also handed Alexandre Lacazette a start against Villa, with the Frenchman netting a last-gasp equaliser in Monday's 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace.