All-Star Ja Morant was left fuming after being ejected for the second time in the last month as the Memphis Grizzlies went down 115-109 to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Morant was thrown out of the game just before half-time after two technical fouls within 11 seconds, firstly for a profanity when complaining about a no-call before allegedly questioning the integrity of the referee.
The Grizzlies guard apparently made derogatory remarks about the officials to Grizzlies fans courtside, leading to his ejection from referee Ray Acosta.
Crew chief John Goble said Morant's first technical was "for use of profanity directed at an official" followed by the second technical "for making a comment questioning the integrity of an official."
Morant, who was also ejected from a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on November 30 and fined $35,000 for criticising officials, was left bemused by the ejection on court before eventually walking off.
"I got my first tech for saying I got hit in my [expletive] face. Didn't curse at him,'' Morant said after the game.
"Another situation where he's in my conversation and I get another tech for talking with a fan. I feel like when these fans came here, went online to buy these tickets, they didn't say Ray [Acosta's] name to come watch."
When asked if he felt he was being singled out by officials, Morant added: "I don't know. Probably so. [They] probably don't like me."
Morant only played 16 minutes of the game, scoring six points on three-of-10 shooting from the field, giving up two turnovers and going none-of-three from beyond the arc.
Five wickets from Pat Cummins helped Australia to a six-wicket victory against South Africa in the first Test at The Gabba inside two days.
Having only managed 152 in the first innings on day one, the tourists had an even worse time with the bat on day two as Australia bowled them out again for just 99, with Cummins taking 5-42.
With the hosts resuming their first innings on 145-5, South Africa appeared to have worked their way back into the contest when they mopped up the remaining five wickets for a further 73 runs, and a total of 218.
Marco Jansen claimed the wicket of Cameron Green (18) before ending Travis Head's innings at 92 after forcing the slightest of glove touches to Kyle Verreynne.
Mitchell Starc was caught and bowled by Lungi Ngidi for 14 before Kagiso Rabada cleaned up the tail by dismissing Cummins and Nathan Lyon for ducks.
However, South Africa's batting problems continued as Sarel Erwee (3) Dean Elgar (2) and Rassie van der Dussen (0) all fell early again, reducing them to 5-3.
Temba Bavuma (29) and Khaya Zondo (36 not out) put up some resistance, but after the former fell, only Keshav Maharaj (16) made double figures, with Cummins following up the wicket of both openers by cleaning up the tail of Rabada (3), Anrich Nortje (0) and Ngidi (9) to complete a five-for.
The pitch continued to trouble the batsmen though as the hosts laboured to a modest target of 34, with Usman Khawaja (2) hitting a Rabada delivery straight to Maharaj at gully.
Rabada (4-13) was doing his best to make Australia work for it, also taking the wickets of David Warner (3), Steve Smith (6) and Head (0) as they were reduced to 24-4, but a pair of high wides that raced to the boundary from him and then Nortje helped see Australia home.
Deadly Cummins takes advantage of sorry Proteas
This makes it six Test innings that South Africa have failed to reach 200 runs, and in fact, even failing to make 100 in their second effort in Brisbane, which will have been extra frustrating after keeping their opponents to a first innings lead of just 61.
Cummins led the way in the second innings though, and although he conceded almost half of the tourists' runs, he also took half the wickets as Australia gave themselves a tiny target to chase for victory.
300 up for Starc
Starc ended on 299 Test wickets after the first innings, and was clearly desperate to reach a treble century once the second began.
He had it early on when a trademark inswinging delivery flew between bat and pad to dismiss Van der Dussen and made him the seventh Australian to reach 300 in Test cricket, doing so on the same ground where he claimed his first wicket of Brendon McCullum in 2011.
India beat Bangladesh by 188 runs in Chattogram to complete a dominant victory in the first Test.
A contest that had been largely dominated by India was never in doubt on day five, with the hosts needing another 241 runs with just four wickets remaining, Bangladesh could only add a further 52 runs as India bowled them out for 324.
Chasing a huge target of 513 at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, few would have expected the Tigers to muster much of a charge towards it, and Mehidy Hasan Miraz was walking back to the pavilion for 13 after Mohammed Siraj delivered a length ball that he tried to drive, only to find Umesh Yadav at backward point.
Captain Shakib Al Hasan was trying to put on a show at least, adding four more sixes to the two he hit on day four, before he finally fell to Kuldeep Yadav, bowled after trying a sweep shot for 84.
Kuldeep also dismissed Ebadot Hossain (0) before things were wrapped up when Axar Patel bowled Taijul Islam (4).
After the win was sewn up, India captain KL Rahul praised his team, admitting they were made to work hard even if the win was never really in doubt.
"It was a hard-fought Test, and I'm really happy we won," he said. "The pitch did flatten out, it did worry us, but in the first few innings it was difficult to get runs."
Shakib credited the victors and admitted that his team had not done enough with the bat.
"It was a good wicket to bat on, but we didn't bat well [in the first innings]," he said. "There should be no excuse. Lots of credit to India, as they created pressure."
The second Test begins in Mirpur on Thursday.
Kuldeep dominates with the ball
A fully deserved man-of-the-match award for the 28-year-old spinner Kuldeep, with final match figures of 8-113. Bangladesh just could not deal with Kuldeep, who also hit 40 with the bat in the first innings.
Patel continues to shine
Axar Patel took 4-77 in the second innings, and has now claimed 44 wickets after just seven Tests, the most by an Indian in the men's game after that number of matches, overtaking Ravichandran Ashwin's total of 43 wickets.
Sunday's World Cup final will not be the first time Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi have met on this stage.
If the encounter at Lusail Stadium is half as good as the instant classic witnessed in Kazan four years ago, then we'll be in for a treat.
France won 4-3 in their last-16 duel, a game that was defined by Argentina's fragility and Les Bleus' ruthlessness.
Didier Deschamps' men of course went on to win the tournament; Argentina soon sacked Jorge Sampaoli and Lionel Messi went into a self-imposed international exile.
It was a seismic contest in a variety of ways.
Mbappe elevated to superstardom
The final of Qatar 2022 is of course being billed as Mbappe versus Messi. Ahead of their meeting in Kazan, this wasn't really the case, with the latter undoubtedly the focus for many.
But at full-time, there was almost a sense of this game being Mbappe's 'arrival' as a global superstar.
While his talent was already well known having joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, Mbappe's performance against Argentina brought his prodigious ability to a worldwide audience.
He was devastating.
Argentina couldn't handle his speed and ability on the ball, with Mbappe tearing the Albiceleste's slow – and high – back-line to shreds.
First, he darted through them, drawing a foul from Javier Mascherano that resulted in Antoine Griezmann striking the crossbar.
Then he just ran away from them, leaving Mascherano and company in his tracks before surging past Marcos Rojo and winning a penalty that Griezmann coolly slotted home.
It wasn't just about his speed, though. Twice he delivered the decisive touch.
Somehow making space for himself in the box, he slammed a left-footed strike through Franco Armani to open his account.
Then he rounded off one of the most memorable goals of the tournament. An intricate counter-attack led to Mbappe steaming up the right flank and latching on to Olivier Giroud's prodded pass before emphatically finding the bottom-left corner with a first-time effort.
It made him the first teenager to score twice in a World Cup match since Pele in 1958.
"When you are to meet a player like Kylian or Leo, of course you make a plan to control them," Sampaoli said. "But if they have a day like Mbappe did, it's very difficult to make the plan work."
Mbappe had truly arrived.
Messi engulfed by the gloom
Just as Mbappe provided an utterly terrifying glimpse of what he'd go on to become, it seemed Messi was on his way out.
Having recently turned 31, there was a perception this was Messi's last tango at the World Cup; after all, he had already retired from international football once before.
And, to be fair, his performance offered little in the way of a response to the idea that he was done.
He did get a couple of assists. The first wasn't exactly one for the highlights reel – it was a tame shot that hit Gabriel Mercado on its way in. Then, his deep cross found Sergio Aguero to head home late on, but Messi was missing the inner fire he's so clearly embraced in Qatar.
At the point of Mercado's fortunate goal, everything was looking quite positive for Argentina as it put them 2-1 up, but they simply weren't defensively sound enough to keep Les Bleus at bay.
Similarly, Messi was unable to shoulder the burden of individually inspiring a team that was essentially in crisis, with prominent reports of rifts and a player mutiny against the coaching staff.
Exile followed for Messi.
Lionel Scaloni was appointed – initially as caretaker head coach – in August 2018, with Messi's future unclear. He was left out of Scaloni's early squads, but after a nine-month absence he did eventually return.
He's not looked back. Messi led Argentina to their first major title in 28 years in 2021 as they won the Copa America, and he's been the key figure in the Albiceleste's route to the final of Qatar 2022.
But can he finally win the biggest title that's eluded him?
Eat my goal
There was more to the Kazan classic than just Mbappe and Messi, however.
A topsy-turvy encounter that encapsulated Argentina's roller-coaster campaign had almost everything: drama, engrossing wider narratives, incredible players and some outrageous goals.
Griezmann's penalty opened the scoring, but the match truly came alive with Angel Di Maria's equaliser.
Given space about 30 yards out, he unleashed an unstoppable piledriver out of Hugo Lloris' reach up to his left, sparking maniacal celebrations from Argentina.
Those celebrations were matched – and the goal arguably trumped – when France brought the game back to 2-2.
Lucas Hernandez's cross fell kindly to Benjamin Pavard just outside the box and the defender met it with one of the most satisfying half-volleys you're ever likely to see, slicing across the ball to send it spinning with venom into the top-left corner.
Mbappe's exceptional second had Argentina 4-2 up, and even Aguero's ultimate consolation was a goal of real quality, particularly Messi's pass.
But the legacy of this game was Mbappe's elevation to a new plain, and it's from there that he's plotting to deny Messi's bid for immortality this time.
The Buffalo Bills stormed into their fourth straight playoffs on the back of a Tyler Bass field goal as time expired which edged them past the Miami Dolphins 32-29 in snowy conditions on Saturday.
Bass converted his 25-yard attempt for his fourth career fourth-quarter or overtime field goal to clinch victory with scores locked amid a wild contest at Bills Stadium where the Dolphins had rallied from a 21-13 half-time deficit to lead 29-21 in the last.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen was heroic, going on a dazzling 44-yard run, the second longest of his career, before capping the same drive with a TD pass for Dawson Knox to make it 29-27 as the snow started to fall heavily in the fourth quarter.
Allen then took the airborne route to convert the two-point conversion to square up the game, breaking the plane of the goal line by inches on review after it had originally been ruled short.
The 26-year-old QB finished the game with four touchdown passes, completing 25 of 40 attempts for 304 yards, with 77 rushing yards on 10 carries.
Allen linked up with Quinton Morris, Nyheim Hines, James Cook and Knox for TD passes, showcasing his elite composure to find Cook right on half-time to open up an eight-point lead.
The Bills' efficiency was arguably the difference in a gripping AFC East contest, with Miami settling for two field goals and one TD from Salvon Ahmed in the first half.
The Dolphins sparked to life in the third with Tua Tagovoiloa linking up with Jaylen Waddle on a 67-yard TD pass, before finding Tyreek Hill for another score to claim a 26-21 lead.
Tagovailoa completed 17 of 30 passes for two touchdowns with no interceptions, as Miami slipped to their third straight loss and an 8-6 record, behind the Bills (11-3) in the AFC East.
Devin Booker reached 12,000 career points with a season-high 58 points as the Phoenix Suns rallied from a 24-point deficit with a hard-fought 118-114 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday.
Booker, who returned from a hamstring issue in Thursday's win over the Los Angeles Clippers which ended the Suns' five-game losing run, made 21-of-35 attempts from the field, including shooting six-of-12 from beyond the arc.
The Suns guard's haul was the second most by a player in a single game this NBA season, behind only Joel Embiid with 59 points last month against the Utah Jazz.
Booker, 26, also became the sixth youngest player in NBA history to reach 12,000 career points, behind only LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony and Tracy McGrady.
The Suns had trailed 83-59 with 7:14 left in the third quarter, coming after the Pelicans had beaten them twice last week.
Booker had five rebounds and five assists along with his 58 points, while Chris Paul added 18 points with five rebounds and eight assists.
Zion Williamson scored 30 points with nine assists for the Pels, while C.J. McCollum added 27 points with eight assists.
Cavs hang on for OT win over Mavs
The Dallas Mavericks spurned three late go-ahead opportunities, including Christian Wood's 30-foot buzzer-beating attempt as the Cleveland Cavaliers got home 100-99 in overtime.
Jarrett Allen's dunk with 2:01 remaining in overtime was the final score, with Donovan Mitchell scoring 25 points for the victorious Cavs, who improved to 20-11. Jarrett Allen had eight points with 15 rebounds.
Kemba Walker top scored with 32 points for the Mavs, who were missing Luka Doncic (quad), while Wood scored 26 points, including five triples, but he missed the crucial late one.
Kawhi finds groove with season-high
Kawhi Leonard scored a season-high 31 points as the Los Angeles Clippers fought back from a three-quarter time deficit to win 102-93 over the Washington Wizards.
Leonard, who has been working back slowly after missing last season with an ACL injury, played a season-high 31 minutes, shooting 12-of-26 with nine rebounds.
Luke Kennard came off the bench to add a season-high 20 points with four three-pointers as the Clippers rallied from a 75-72 three-quarter time deficit.
Football Australia (FA) chief James Johnson was "horrified" at the scenes from Saturday's Melbourne derby pitch invasion and is ready to hand out the "harshest of punishments" for those involved.
Saturday's game at AAMI Park between Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City saw flares thrown by both sets of fans during the first 22 minutes, before trouble escalated when a flare appeared to hit a pitch-side cameraman before exploding.
City goalkeeper Tom Glover threw another flare back into the crowd, inflaming the situation, before fans behind the goal stormed the pitch, with Glover being hit in the face with a metal bin that had been used for other flares. Referee Alex King was also caught up in the incident, before taking the two teams off the pitch, with the game later abandoned amid unruly scenes.
Glover was left bloodied with a cut to the right side of his face, with City stating he had been concussed from the incident.
"I'll start with saying that I'm horrified, I'm irritated, I'm angry at the scenes witnessed at AAMI Park last night," Johnson told reporters on Sunday. "A full investigation will take place and those responsible will face the harshest of punishments."
The ground invasion comes amid rising tensions between administrators and fans in Australian football following the Australian Premier Leagues' decision to sell the men's and women's A-Leagues grand finals the rights to their grand finals to the New South Wales government, having previously been hosted by the highest-ranked team.
Johnson said the fans who ran onto the AAMI Park pitch were an unwanted "element" in the game, insisting the code was "safe" in Australia.
The FA boss strongly condemned their behaviour and made clear that heavy sanctions would be forthcoming.
"We will be moving swiftly and we will be taking the strongest sanctions that are available," Johnson said. "This is an element that goes beyond football, it’s an element that infiltrates our game, and that really tried to ruin it for the two million people who love our sport. It's those people that we will be targeting in this investigation and who we will weed out of the sport.
"There is no justification for the behaviour we saw last night. I don't care about people that think the decision for the GF is wrong or right. Anyone who thinks that justifies behaviour is completely out of touch.
"People that behave like this, I don't call them fans and I won't call them fans. What is important is our response – that is simple, there is no place in our sport for that behaviour and people that act like that will be weeded out and weeded out quickly."
Several other fan groups held "peaceful protests" about the grand final decision at the 20th-minute mark at A-League games across the competition over the weekend.
Johnson added: "Football is very safe. Two million people play it week in, week out. We saw in all the other A-League games that were played over the weekend, peaceful protests, and that’s OK – fans have are OK to express their views in a peaceful way.
"The way that some individuals conducted themselves at the Melbourne Victory game is not acceptable, and I think that is specific to that match.
"I don’t think that it is a reflection on the broader game. We're the biggest sport country in terms of participants. This does not happen in local football. It doesn’t happen at national team level. It doesn’t happen at the NPL level, and it hasn’t happened in the other A-League games.
"I don't think though that a group of individuals that participated in unacceptable behaviour in one match is a reflection of how the broader sport is.
"The small group of people, the 100-150 odd people that invaded the pitch, they need to be the target, not the broader sport. We will be targeting those individuals and ensuring that they no longer participate in our sport."
Johnson said the FA would work with the Australian Premier Leagues (APL), who run the A-Leagues, on appropriate sanctions for Victory, whose fans flooded the pitch.
Victory managing director Caroline Carnegie also strongly condemned the fan behaviour when speaking to reporters on Sunday, insisting it "has no place at our club".
The Chicago Cubs took the last star shortstop off the free-agent market on Saturday, agreeing to a 7-year, $177 million contract with Dansby Swanson, sources told ESPN.
The deal, which is pending a physical, includes a full no-trade clause, according to two people familiar with the negotiations.
Swanson was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 amateur draft, but he was traded to Atlanta in a multiplayer deal that December.
He spent each of his seven MLB seasons with the Braves, helping them to a World Series championship in 2021 after batting .248 with 27 home runs and 88 RBIs.
He followed that by hitting .277 last season with 25 homers and a career-best 96 RBIs in 162 games. Swanson made the NL All-Star team for the first time and won his first Gold Glove.
The Cubs became the latest team to snag a high-priced shortstop following the San Francisco Giants (Carlos Correa, $350 million), Philadelphia Phillies (Trea Turner, $300 million) and San Diego Padres (Xander Bogaerts, $280 million).
With Swanson added, the Cubs likely will move Nico Hoerner from shortstop to second base.
Chicago finished third in the NL Central last season but did go 40-31 in its final 71 games. Besides Swanson, the Cubs signed 2019 NL MVP Cody Bellinger to a one-year contract and added right-hander Jameson Taillon on a four-year, $68 million deal.
Swanson is a career .255 hitter with 102 homers and 411 RBIs in 827 career games.
He got married last weekend to Mallory Pugh, who plays for the Chicago Red Stars, the women’s professional soccer team.
Deshaun Watson led the Cleveland Browns to a 13-3 victory over the Baltimore Ravens in his first home start since his 11-game suspension as they kept alive their playoffs hopes on Saturday.
Watson threw the game's only touchdown to Donovan Peoples-Jones in the third quarter, with the Browns QB completing 18 of 28 passes for 161 yards with 22 rushing yards for the game at FirstEnergy Stadium.
The victory improved the Browns to 6-8 overall, going 2-1 since Watson returned, while the Ravens dropped to 9-5, with the Cincinnati Bengals moving ahead of them in top spot in the AFC North by half a game.
It was a game to forget for the Ravens, who had a run of possessions that included a missed field goal attempt, an interception and a fumble in the second and third quarters. Baltimore had three turnovers on downs too.
Ravens kicker Justin Tucker missed two field goals in one game for the first time since December 2018, including putting a 48-yard attempt wide, while he had a fourth-quarter 50-yard attempt blocked.
Baltimore QB Tyler Huntley, standing in for the injured Lamar Jackson, threw 17 of 30 attempts for 138 yards, with Denzel Ward intercepting his third quarter pass in the redzone intended by DeSean Jackson with the score 6-3 at the time.
The Browns scored the game's only TD from their next drive, with Watson linking up with Amari Cooper twice for decent gains, before the QB's three-yard pass for the open Peoples-Jones.
Browns running back Nick Chubb added 99 rushing yards on 21 carries, while J.K. Dobbins was the Ravens' best offensive outlet, running 125 yards from 13 carries.
Juventus head coach Massimiliano Allegri has admitted he is unsure when Paul Pogba will return from injury.
Pogba is yet to make his first appearance for the club after returning to Turin on a free transfer prior to the start of the campaign, suffering a knee injury in pre-season that also saw him unavailable for France's World Cup exploits.
The former Manchester United midfielder was initially expected to return for the tie against Serie A leaders Napoli on January 13, but that comeback is now reported to have been delayed.
Allegri, speaking after the 2-0 victory over Arsenal at Emirates Stadium on Saturday, did not set a timeframe for Pogba's return and made it clear he is keen to avoid further questions on his recovery.
"Paul still hasn't been consistent in training, so I cannot say when he'll be back," he told Sky Sport Italia.
"This is the truth and it's important to say that, otherwise every day we'll get these questions on how Pogba's recovery is going. He hasn't yet started running in training."
Pogba is not the only injury concern for Juventus ahead of the resumption of the season, though Allegri expects the core of his squad to be ready for the clash against Cremonese on January 4.
"[Federico] Chiesa had a muscular issue, but that's normal when stepping up the intensity after such a long injury lay-off and we preferred not to risk him. He'll be ready for December 27," he added.
"[Leonardo] Bonucci won't be out for long, Juan Cuadrado will only be available after the Cremonese game and Mattia De Sciglio should be back from December 27 onwards.
"That is also when Danilo and Alex Sandro arrive, while [Adrien] Rabiot and the Argentineans will have a few more days to rest, as they are in the World Cup final tomorrow."
Kirk Cousins has told the Minnesota Vikings they need to play better when playoff football begins after his side's record comeback victory against the Indianapolis Colts.
The Vikings trailed 33-0 at the break but rallied in the second half, registering 29 unanswered points to send the game to overtime with the score tied at 36-a-piece.
A 40-yard field goal in the final moments secured the win and the biggest comeback win in NFL history, beating the previous record set by the Buffalo Bills against the Houston Oilers in January 1993.
The win also secured the Vikings the NFC North title for the first time since 2017 and books a return to the playoffs following a two-year absence, but Cousins made it clear there is work to be done.
"The goal every year when the season starts is to win your division, get a playoff game, then sort it out from there," he said on the field to the NFL Network.
"That's the first goal, we were able to secure that, but we've got to play a lot better. You've got to play better football to win in the playoffs.
"Obviously, there's still a lot to play for with our seeding."
Despite the first-half blowout, and a deficit that looked unassailable, Cousins says there was still belief in the locker room.
"It was an ugly first half but we found a way back with complimentary football, a lot of plays, a lot we'd like to have back as well, but we'll take it," he added.
"There was belief at half-time. Patrick Peterson said all we needed was five touchdowns; I thought he was being sarcastic. Obviously, there is some yelling, there is some frustration.
"That [comeback] doesn't just happen. Basic people don't do what we just did."
The Vikings host the New York Giants on Christmas Eve for their final home game of the regular season, followed by back-to-back road trips against the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears.
The Minnesota Vikings set the record for the biggest comeback in NFL history, recovering from a 33-0 half-time deficit against the Indianapolis Colts to clinch a 39-36 victory and the NFC North title.
A strong defensive performance in the first half looked to have put to put the Colts in cruise control, with a pick-6, a blocked punt for a touchdown and limiting the hosts to just a single first down at U.S. Bank Stadium.
But the second half saw a new Minneapolis Miracle written into legend, as Minnesota fought back from 36-7 to hit 29 unanswered points and send the game to overtime.
There, a 40-yard field goal from Greg Joseph delivered the NFC North crown to the Vikings for the first time since 2017, and shattered the record books in the process.
The 33-point comeback set the mark as the biggest-ever in NFL history, surpassing the 32-point deficit the Buffalo Bills overturned against the Houston Oilers in January 1993.
It was a bitter reverse for the Colts, who having seized the lead through a field goal, returned a blocked punt for a touchdown through JoJo Domann before Deon Jackson finished a seven-play drive to extend their advantage.
The Vikings' woes continued in the second quarter, seeing Julian Blackmon intercept Kirk Cousins for a pick-six and with a further three field goals conceded to leave them 33 points down on the scoreboard at half-time.
A two-yard K.J. Osborn touchdown in the third quarter got the Vikings off the mark before another Colts field goal took the game to 36-7 - but it was then that the hosts came alive in sensational fashion.
Bagging 21 unanswered points to bring the game towards a dramatic finish, Dalvin Cook then delivered a 64-yard touchdown followed by a two-point conversion to square matters up.
That took the game to overtime where, with the clock ticking down, Joseph sealed the deal - and with it, the Vikings' first playoff appearance since 2019.
Mikel Arteta says Arsenal's transfer plans for the new year have not changed despite their injury woes, after Reiss Nelson became the latest player to sustain a knock.
The winger was forced off in a 2-0 friendly loss to Juventus on Saturday with an apparent hamstring problem, as teams step up their return to action following the World Cup break.
With Gabriel Jesus set to be sidelined after undergoing surgery for an injury suffered on Brazil duty in Qatar, the number of options available for Arteta are narrowing.
But the Spaniard says his plans have not been altered ahead of the January transfer window, adding that he intends to wait on a further prognosis for Nelson.
"We don't know the extent of the injury," Arteta said. "The fact he had to leave the pitch straight away is not good news, especially someone who really powerful and fast like Reiss.
"Let's see what will happen. We know what we have to do and that doesn't change the plans."
Nelson's injury is a blow to a Gunners side already missing Jesus, limiting their pool of wide forwards as they prepare to restart their Premier League season.
Eddie Nketiah is likely to be offered his first sustained minutes in the Premier League since the end of last season, having been restricted to a role from the bench this campaign.
"Eddie is always ready," Arteta said. "He knows [the injuries to others] opens up a big opportunity for him right now and he needs to grab it.
"But the way he trains every day and the mentality he has, he gives us no reason to believe that he won't be super ready to perform."
Arsenal sit five points clear at the summit in their hunt for a first-top flight title since 2003-04 season, during the Invincibles era under Arsene Wenger.
Former Germany defender Per Mertesacker insists he has his hands full at Arsenal and is not considering the possibility of his country coming calling.
Mertesacker is the academy manager at Arsenal, but he has been tipped as a "perfect man for the job" as Germany seek a new national team director.
That was the view expressed this week by Real Madrid star Toni Kroos, a former international team-mate of Mertesacker.
Mertesacker, speaking to German broadcaster Sky Sport on Saturday at a charity ice hockey game benefitting his Per Mertesacker Foundation, spoke of his enjoyment of his role in England.
The national team role has become vacant after long-time incumbent Oliver Bierhoff moved on after Germany's second consecutive World Cup group-stage exit.
"I'm super happy in England and I'm in charge of the youth academy. There's a lot to do there," said Mertesacker, who won 104 caps for Germany.
"We're very committed and try to introduce young talent, but also give them certain values. That's very, very important to me."
Regarding the DFB position, he added: "I haven't been spoken to yet, so I don't want to speculate. We're all interested in German football and in having a lot to offer in the future."
Mertesacker, 38, retired from playing at the end of the 2017-18 season after seven campaigns with Arsenal, and immediately took up his current role.
Germany's football association, the DFB, recently announced a new advisory group to help the national team bounce back from their latest dismal World Cup performance.
It includes ex-Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, BVB adviser Matthias Sammer, Red Bull managing director Oliver Mintzlaff, current Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn and long-time Bayer Leverkusen managing director Rudi Voller.
The group will be led by DFB president Bernd Neuendorf and vice-chairman Hans-Joachim Watzke.
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