Bruno Guimaraes made his Arsenal debut last Sunday by starting the Community Shield victory over Manchester City, but he's now a doubt to face Coventry on Friday night15:55, 20 Aug 2026Updated 15:56, 20 Aug 2026Mikel Arteta has revealed that Bruno Guimaraes is a doubt to face Coventry on Friday - while Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka are ready to start. Guimaraes, Arsenal's new £75m signing, made his debut for the Gunners when he started their 3-0 win against Manchester City in the Community Shield last Sunday.‌However, the Brazil international suffered a knock before being replaced by Rice at half-time. Both Rice and Saka were given additional holiday after England's long campaign at the World Cup, which came off the back of a gruelling season at club level.‌In his pre-match press conference on Thursday, Arteta was asked about Guimaraes and replied: "Let's see how he is. He's evolving really well, but let's see for tomorrow."‌There was more positive news on Rice and Saka's fitness, with the Gunners boss saying: "Yes, they're ready to be involved, yes."FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news and more on our dedicated Facebook page‌One man who won't be involved is Jurrien Timber, who remains out after suffering a groin injury prior to the World Cup. Like fellow long-term absentee William Saliba, he won't be seen in the coming games."No, I said in the next few weeks," Arteta reiterated. "He's not training with the group yet."Given Arsenal's current lack of depth in the backline, the Gunners are looking to sign a defender before the summer transfer window closes on September 1. Areta shouldn't have to wait too long, though, as Arsenal have agreed a £51m deal with Aston Villa to sign Ezri Konsa - although the Spaniard was coy when asked about him.‌"Well, we are really active in the market. I think I mentioned that a few days ago," Arteta said. "The ambition is to improve the squad.How should Arsenal line up against Coventry? Let us know your XI in the comments section.‌"We have a really specific issue in the backline, especially with the long-term injury of Wilo [Saliba] and the fact that we miss one more defender; that's clear. So we are trying to reinforce that area. Whenever we're ready, we'll announce something."He added: "I'm always positive, I'm always confident. It's something that I cannot control. It doesn't depend just on us. So we are willing to improve that area and we're going to try our best to achieve that."In addition, Arteta confirmed that Myles Lewis-Skelly will be staying at the Emirates following speculation over his future. The 19-year-old was offered to Manchester United and Chelsea earlier this month, but Arteta declared that Lewis-Skelly will '100 per cent' be an Arsenal player beyond deadline day.Article continues belowJoin our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.