Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta held his regular pre-match press conference ahead of the crucial clash against Sporting CP.

At the club's HQ and training ground, London Colney, Arteta fielded questions from the media about Gabriel Jesus' return, potential squad rotation and what it will take to progress to the Europa League quarter-finals. 

Here is everything he had to say:

on the atmosphere at the training ground...

First of all, they get on really well and you can sense that. There is a good combination of desire to win and competition between the players, and they also know when to enjoy it. So that's why the atmosphere is always good.

on how good it is to have Gabriel Jesus back...

It was great to see him back. You can feel the happiness of everybody around him: supporters, players, staff. We missed him and now we're glad he's back.

on ensuring his comeback is done right...

We have to manage his minutes and we have to manage his involvement in the squad and in the team. But Gabby is feeling good every day that he's training. He says that these senses are getting better and better, so that's really positive.

on whether there will be squad rotation tomorrow...

We're looking to win. That was the same when we were in Lisbon, but we're gonna have to do better than we did in Lisbon to win against Sporting tomorrow.

on the step-up against Fulham after disappointment in Lisbon...

Yeah, it was a big difference. The desire to win the ball back, the aggression that we showed, and how we defended the boxes. That's something we're gonna have to show tomorrow against a top-quality side. They punish you the moment you give them some space and so, tomorrow that cannot be the case.

on whether the Europa League is a distraction from the domestic campaign...

No. We haven't had big European nights for three years due to COVID especially. Tomorrow is probably the first one that we've had for a while and hopefully, we'll build a really good atmosphere and enjoy it. Our supporters will be there against a really good team that is going to put a big challenge in front of us.

on Eddie Nketiah's recovery...

He's getting better. He's still in the boot so still a few weeks away. We need to be patient - it was a nasty injury. It's a challenge that Eddie's got ahead of him, but thank God he could have been worse so he's not in a bad place.

on any other team concerns...

I don't think so.

on whether he expects Ben White to be selected for England duty...

He's available for us so for sure, he will be available for the England squad. As far as I'm concerned, he's been in really good form, he's been available for every single match and he's been performing really well for us. 

on Emile Smith Rowe's return to the squad...

He knows how much we love him and how much we missed him and how much we need his qualities. Now he needs to prove it. He needs to prove how much he wants to win and how much he's going to contribute to this team. To be better and to win and he's gonna have to show that to get on the team.

on whether he will be reintroduced gradually...

We have to manage his load but for sure, he's in a position where we can use him in the team at any moment. Then it's about how he's coping with the game in general and whether to take him off or use for the last few minutes.

on whether Erling Haaland's achievements have surprised him...

No. When you look at what he's done in the past and surrounded by the manager, the team and the individuals City have, he's only gonna get better. It's incredible what he did.

on whether City's recent form is a concern...

We cannot control that. We know the standards that they've set in this league for the last four or five years and we have to meet them if we want to beat them.

on his sporting idols...

Someone that I've admired for a long, long time is Rafael Nadal because of his mentality, what he's done and the way he's done it, and how many times he's bounced back. So he will be top of the list for sure.