Every word from Arteta's pre-Aston Villa presser

Days after beating Brentford, Mikel Arteta was back facing the press ahead of our trip to Aston Villa on Saturday, December 6.
Mikel provided an injury update and assessed our opponents, who we face at Villa Park at 12.30.
Here's everything the boss had to say at the Sobha Realty Training Centre.
on Declan Rice’s availability:
Let’s see. I think with all the questions I'm going to get, the answer, unfortunately, is going to be the same. We have another training session in the afternoon. Every hour is going to be very important to see the availability of the players. After that, we'll decide which ones [are available].
on Mosquera’s fitness:
That's the one that is more complicated. But again, we have another test today to see where we are with them.
on William Saliba and Leandro Trossard being close:
It is a matter of days with those two, for sure.
on if the quality of football suffers in the schedule:
The only thing I can say is that whenever it's possible to help and give the players an extra day or hours to fulfil their maximum potential, let's do it. That's it. We are ready for tomorrow's game, that's for sure.
on facing Aston Villa:
For what they've been doing, the way they've been playing and winning matches, certainly it's a team that is in great form and we know that. We know obviously the manager and the incredible job he’s done there as well, so we know the task tomorrow, but we always take it as an opportunity.
on if Unai Emery has any extra motivation facing Arsenal:
I don't know. I think when you look at Unai [Emery], his career, his motivation level, everywhere he’s had an impact, it's all been remarkable. So I don't know, that's a question for him. But in my opinion, he never needs anything extra. I think he's good enough in himself.
on if this is another statement match:
Consistency, again, to perform at the highest level and win another game and then we'll go back to the same question, to the Champions League and then next weekend, because that's the nature of the game, and that's exactly how we have to take it every game.
on what does winning our match do to other title rivals:
Every time you win a game, obviously, you are a little bit closer to your objective, and it's the only thing that we can do. We have to focus on performing, preparing really well for tomorrow, we know the kind of game that we're going to play and be ready for it to fulfil our potential.
on what Mosquera’s injury is:
An ankle [injury]
on Calafiori being on four yellows this season and if it impacts his line-up or if it's an in-game dilemma:
Both. Especially against Brentford and especially with the situation that we had at the end of the game with the backline and the numbers that we have there. But it [Calafiori getting booked] didn't happen, so good news.
on Ollie Watkins and his threat:
I think the collective threat that they have in terms of how they generate chances and what they do so well. Then obviously the quality that they have in front from different players.
on if Aston Villa are title challengers:
Well, if they continue where they are already, so if they continue what e they've been doing, I think any club, any team in that position has chances for sure.
on if his squad is in the best place it’s been under him:
Well, we've built a squad that I believe was the best one to give us the possibility to do it. Is it what I want it to be? No, because of the injuries that we have, to have a squad means that the players have to be fit and available because that has a lot of consequences not only during matches but also in the way that we prepare for the week and the options that we have to change and keep the presence in the team. But certainly very happy with how we deal with certain situations.
on if teams will drop out of competitions because of the fixture schedule:
Hopefully, we don’t get to that point, and everything is manageable; we all learn from it, and we carry on in what we do.
on if Saliba and Trossard will be fit:
As I said before, after the training session we’ll know more.
on if Mikel Merino will be considered as a striker when all strikers are fit:
I think he has earned at least the thinking behind it with the way he’s performing and the impact that he’s bringing to the team, so that’s a yes.
on if he’s grown into the position:
Yeah, and they are playing together, even with Viktor, it can be with Gabi [Jesus], and there are things that we have prepared during the summer because of the squad that we have, and so far we haven’t been able to do.
on managing his players when rotating:
We haven't had this situation too many times, I think the problem would be the other one, that you bring somebody in and he doesn’t perform, and then the decision is so easy, not to play him again. We are not in that position, which is the position that we want to be in, which is exactly that. We have people in contention, whether it’s to start the game or to finish the game, or to play whenever the team needs his qualities. That’s what we have at the moment with every player.
on the challenges of having everyone fit:
I hope that we are in that position and then again, we can maintain and decide for the freshness of the team and what is required on that day, what is the best squad to take. A problem that obviously a lot of clubs in this country are very familiar with.
on if he’s worried about Mosquera’s fitness:
No, we need to know, because the feeling that we had after the game and yesterday, we need to corroborate with other testing that we do today.
on if the injuries impact any January transfer dealings:
We always have to be prepared. I mean, the moment that we have an option to touch the squad, to bring to the squad or to protect the squad, depending on what happens, I think we need to be open, for example, one what’s going to happen from here till the window is closed as well, it's football. So we don’t know, but we’re certainly going to be alert and we know where the risk can come in terms of the squad, and be ready just in case we have to do something.
on if anyone could leave in January:
Well, at the moment, obviously, we haven't had a situation, as we mentioned before, that players are out of the squad for three or four weeks in a row. At the moment, we know that the squad we have, we are full-framing with the players that are fit. So, at the moment, it's very clear that there's no option to do that.
on what he learned from last season’s injuries:
You certainly learn from those situations. I think, looking for solutions and being positive and transmitting that positivity and belief to the team is the main thing because you cannot do anything about it. We have injuries that are totally uncontrollable, especially the ones that were long-term last season. This season, a lot of other things happened as well. Learn from the things that we can control as well and the areas that we can improve. First of all, myself, and take it as it comes and enjoy the ride.
on if Martin Odegaard can play every three days:
I think he’s certainly capable of doing that once the injury is resolved. You see the stats, what he did in midweek after six or seven weeks out, it’s incredible. We just have another player, another top player, that gives us a lot, gives us something different to what we have in those positions, so I’m very happy to have him.