Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta insists Nuno Tavares has his total confidence.

Tavares has struggled for minutes in his first season with the Gunners.

But Arteta said, "When I put a player on the pitch, it's because I can see that they are in the right condition to [play].

"To show trust is giving them the opportunity when I believe that he is ready to do that. When I see in the moment that he is doubting, I don't do him any favours by putting him in there.

"[Is there a belief problem] with Nuno? No, not belief. He needs to go through periods like I can show you examples of any player that has been in this squad. Not always good periods, difficult periods. But those difficult periods are the best moments to learn and to overcome and to have the ability afterwards to develop into a much better player.

"If you have the elements to change one piece for another it is simple, when you don't you have to figure out what to do, without putting players in situations where they are not comfortable and trying to exploit the maximum qualities of the players and ask them to do things that they are capable of doing.

"Hopefully you can have every element just to change it and not lose anything. When you don't have that you have to look for other solutions."