Arsenal head coach Unai Emery today claimed January loan signing Denis Suarez is still not capable of playing 90 minutes.
The 25-year-old has made just four substitute appearances totalling 66 minutes since arriving on deadline day last month.
Emery insists Suarez is still adapting to English football but hinted he could feature against Bournemouth in tomorrow’s Premier League clash at Emirates Stadium.
“He is working every day, improving and knowing us,” said Emery. “My philosophy is that adaptation needs time and after, little-by-little he will grow confidence and know his teammates in training and after playing matches.
In Pictures | Arsenal vs Southampton | 24/02/2019
“For him, all the minutes he can get to help us are very important. On Sunday [against Southampton] for example, my idea was to give him some minutes, but after recent injuries, I cannot give him these minutes. But tomorrow is another opportunity.”
Arsenal have an option to make Suarez’s loan move permanent for a fee in the region of £20million but Emery refused to be drawn on whether the club would do so amid reports from Spain that Barcelona are keen to sell this summer.
“For me, it's so far away,” he said. “The football, each match, each week, can change a lot. We are in every match, we are doing a test on everybody. My test like a coach is tomorrow and the players are the same.
“Our demands are very big demands. To work hard, to be with focus for each match to show us and show you, the players, the coaches, that we can improve and we can be better every day. For me the summer is so far away.”
