Arsenal's Premier League title charge faces a test this weekend as they travel across London to face West Ham United at the London Stadium. But manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed a significant blow: both Jurrien Timber and Mikel Merino are ruled out with "no chance" of featuring in Sunday's clash.

The Gunners have enjoyed a relatively clean bill of health recently, with key stars like Bukayo Saka and Ben White returning to action. However, the treatment table still holds two important names. Timber has been sidelined since March, and Arteta admitted the setback has been more complicated than first thought. "That's probably been the most difficult thing to manage, with the player, with myself as well, because we didn't expect it to take so long," the boss revealed.

When asked about the possibility of either player returning before the season ends, Arteta offered little hope. "I don't know. There's a fair bit to do. Everything has to be so smooth and quick if they want the chance to play any minutes," he said.

Despite these absences, Arsenal's squad depth is looking stronger than ever. The midweek Champions League semi-final win over Atletico Madrid came without any fresh injury concerns, and Arteta pointed to the quality now available on the bench as a key difference from last season. "It's great to see, to witness the quality that we had on the bench the other night, if you compare that to a year ago, that's a very different picture," he noted.

With the title race heating up, every match matters. Arsenal will need to dig deep into their squad against a determined West Ham side, but the return of several key players offers a timely boost. For fans, the focus now shifts to how the Gunners adapt without their injured duo—and whether they can keep their title dreams alive on Sunday.