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• Arsenal handed another injury blow as White ruled out for 'months'

  Mikel Arteta confirmed that Arsenal defender Ben White is facing "months" on the sidelines after sustaining a knee injury. 

  White had been dealing with several issues all season and has missed five games in all competitions for the Gunners already this term. 

  After struggling through until the November international break, the decision was taken for him to undergo surgery in order to finally address the ongoing problems.

  It serves as a bitter blow for Arteta, with only Thomas Parety (13) making more interceptions than White (11) for Arsenal in the Premier League this campaign. 

  Though Arteta confirmed that the surgery was successful, White is set for a lengthy spell out of the team. 

  "It has been different kinds of struggles. It has never been the same thing, but we had to make a decision. He has not improved over the last few weeks, unfortunately," said Arteta.

  "We know that Ben is going to push every boundary, but it got to the point where we have to protect the player and we decided to do the surgery.

  "He agreed with that and it is going to keep him out for a few months."

  Asked for a specific time frame, Arteta added: "We have to see how he reacts post-surgery. I don't expect it to be half a year, but I cannot tell you exactly."

  It offers a concern for Arteta in the full-back area, with the Spaniard also revealing on Friday that Takehiro Tomiyasu is "going to be out as well for a bit".

  There was, however, some positive injury news for the Gunners ahead of welcoming Nottingham Forest to the Emirates on Saturday. 

  After not featuring for England during the international break, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice are expected to be fit to feature against Nuno Espirito Santo's side. 

  Leandro Trossard will also be available for Arteta despite picking up a hamstring injury during the international break with Belgium.

  Defender Riccardo Calafiori is also in contention for Saturday's game after a month out with a knee problem. 

• Fonseca: Milan have 'respect' but 'are not afraid' of Juventus

  Paulo Fonseca said Milan have plenty of "respect" for Juventus, but his side "are not afraid" of their rivals ahead of their Serie A clash on Saturday. 

  After a slow start to the season, Milan are six points adrift of Juventus in the table, but only a place behind them, as they aim to make up the ground on the top six. 

  The Rossoneri have played a game less than Thiago Motta's side, and could catapult themselves back into the Scudetto picture with a win this weekend. 

  Milan return to the San Siro for the first time since a 2-0 defeat to Napoli at the end of October, and could register two consecutive home defeats in Serie A for the first time since between October and November in 2023. 

  "It is not decisive, but it is important, like all of them," Fonseca told reporters ahead of Saturday's game.

  "I can't say that the game against Juve is more important than the next one against Empoli because we need consecutive victories.

  "It's a different game, but I always think positively. We are Milan, we have a lot of respect for the 'Bianconeri', but we are not afraid. We are here ready to win."

  A boost for Milan is that Juventus will be without top scorer Dusan Vlahovic for Saturday's clash after returning from international duty with a muscle problem. 

  Despite the Serbian's absence, Fonseca was aware of the danger his probable replacement, Timothy Weah, would pose, having managed him during his time at Lille. 

  "Juve knows how to adapt very well. I don't know if Weah will play," Fonseca said.

  "Weah is very fast and attacks deep, not like Vlahovic. It will not be the same thing of course.

  "We will have to pay attention to movements in depth and less to support work, because he is a player who does less of this job."

  While Fonseca has endured a stuttering start to his tenure at the San Siro, Milan have shown they have the ability to match the very best. 

  They beat rivals Inter in October before stunning Real Madrid at the Bernabeu in their last Champions League encounter, keeping their play-off hopes alive. 

  "I believe it's a matter of motivation and not pressure," Fonseca said.

  "Against Inter, Juve and Real it is easy to be motivated, it's more difficult to go to Cagliari and have the same motivation.

  "Pressure is always with us, every day. If we don't want to have pressure, then we shouldn't be here."

• Vlahovic out of Juventus clash with Milan

  Dusan Vlahovic will miss Juventus' trip to Milan in Serie A this weekend and is also a doubt for the Champions League game at Aston Villa, head coach Thiago Motta has confirmed.

  Vlahovic returned from the international break with a muscle problem in his left thigh, and the manager, after he confirmed the Serbian's absence for Saturday's game at San Siro, was asked about his chances of playing on Wednesday at Villa Park.

  "I don't know. He definitely won't be there tomorrow. We hope to have him back as soon as possible," Motta told a press conference on Friday.

  "Injuries are part of football. Now it's Vlahovic's turn, but we'll keep playing with the same principles, attacking and defending together."

  Vlahovic is the latest of Motta's injury problems at Juventus. Argentine winger Nicolas Gonzalez missed the last six league games and is still unavailable, while Poland striker Arkadiusz Milik is a long-term absentee.

  Brazilian midfielder Douglas Luiz will also miss the game with Milan and defender Juan Cabal recently suffered an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury, the same issue which will keep fellow defender Gleison Bremer out for the rest of the season.

  "I'm really disappointed for Cabal because, like Bremer, he'll be out for a long time," Motta said.

  "This is another reason to push ourselves, to commit that bit more so that these absences don't weigh too heavily."

  Juventus go into the game as the only unbeaten side in Serie A but find themselves sixth in the standings in what is so far a very tight title race, with just two points separating Motta's side from leaders Napoli.

  "It's very balanced and this is good for both us and the public," Motta said.

  "We must all try to continue like this. We have to try to get as many positive results as possible."

  Milan are one place behind Juve but six points off Motta's side.