Arsenal v Aston Villa live: Premier League team news and line-ups as Declan Rice the latest Gunners injury but Gabriel and Jurrien Timber start

Not too many eyebrows in the press room as the teamsheets are given out, but the expected news of Declan Rice’s absence is certainly a hammer blow to the hosts.

However, Jurrien Timber’s return straight in at right-back is a crumb of comfort for Mikel Arteta, as is the return of Gabriel and Saliba as Arsenal’s first-choice centre-back pairing.

As for Villa, Ollie Watkins starts on his 30th birthday and after his two goals against Chelsea on Saturday – five changes in total for Unai Emery’s side.

As Arsenal fans feared, Declan Rice will indeed miss tonight’s clash. But there is better news in that Jurrien Timber has recovered to start at right-back and Gabriel is deemed fit enough to start in the centre of defence alongside William Saliba.

Piero Hincapie will play left-back, as he did for the closing stages against Brighton, with Martin Zubimendi, Mikel Merino and Martin Odegaard forming the midfield three in Rice’s absence

… will be confirmed in the next few minutes. How many Arsenal defenders make it and will Gabriel start? Does Ollie Watkins return for Aston Villa?

They’ve won 11 games in a row, including eight in the Premier League – with wins over Arsenal and Chelsea in that spell. Let’s ask Mikel Arteta and Unai Emery.

Arteta: “They are meant to be there when you look at what they are doing and how consistent they have been and what Unai has done with the club.

“They fully deserve that credit because they are doing it on the pitch, where you have to show your level.”

Emery: “You were making the same question two years ago. We had 39 points on game 19 and we finished fourth, in the Champions League position.

“Of course, that was fantastic, but speaking about the title for me does not make sense for us. Now, in December, it does not make sense.”

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has publicly questioned the Premier League’s fixture scheduling, prompting sources close to the league to assert that the club had previously received a comprehensive explanation.

The comments come as Villa prepare to face Arsenal on Tuesday night, their second consecutive Premier League away game in London, following Saturday’s match against Chelsea.

Emery voiced his confusion on Monday, stating he could not comprehend why his team would play Arsenal twice in the league before having faced Nottingham Forest even once. Villa are scheduled to play Forest in a lunchtime kick-off this Saturday.

Aston Villa’s director of football operations, Damian Vidagany further questioned why fixtures appeared more “convenient” for “certain clubs,” highlighting that Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester United are all playing back-to-back home games in match rounds 18 and 19.

“The good news as well, for example, we got Gabi earlier than expected, which is great,” Mikel Arteta said after the win at Brighton, with the Brazilian making his return after seven weeks out with a hamstring injury.

“The medical staff, I think they’ve done an incredible job the way he pushes himself as well, that’s what we need because we lost one and we got somebody else back.”

A start against Aston Villa tonight will now be the next goal.

Arsenal remain top of the Premier League after a hard-fought victory over Brighton but Mikel Arteta continues to battle a host of injuries.

The Gunners have been hit hard at the back, in particular, with a make-shift defence against the Seagulls including Declan Rice as an emergency right-back.

Riccardo Calafiori was a late withdrawal due to an injury sustained in the warm-up and Arteta has been forced to cope without the likes of Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba, Jurrien Timber, Ben White and Cristhian Mosquera throughout the festive period.

Unai Emery maintained “it does not make sense” to label his side Premier League title challengers before Tuesday’s clash at Arsenal.

Villa won a club record-equalling 11th straight game in all competitions – their eighth in the top flight – by beating Chelsea 2-1 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday to climb third in the table.

Emery, whose side will go level on points with the Gunners with victory, have a chance to prove their title credentials – but the Spaniard is not getting carried away with the hype.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said the club are prepared to ease their injury problems by “actively looking” at signing new players when the transfer window reopens later this week.

Arteta could be without as many as four defenders for his side’s pivotal Premier League match against Aston Villa at the Emirates on Tuesday.

Jurrien Timber, Riccardo Calafiori, Ben White and Cristhian Mosquera were all unavailable for Arsenal’s nervy win over Brighton on Saturday, which kept them two points clear of title rivals Manchester City at the top of the table.

Aston Villa will likely reward Ollie Watkins with a start following his brace at Stamford Bridge, though Emery must come up with alternatives for Matty Cash and Boubacar Kamara, who both triggered suspensions after being booked against the Blues. Tyrone Mings, Pau Torres and Ross Barkley remain out, while Evann Guessand is at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Predicted line-up: Martinez; Bogarde, Konsa, Lindelof, Maatsen; Onana, Tielemans; McGinn, Buendia, Rogers; Watkins.