Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has no qualms about sending Ainsley Maitland-Niles to Roma on loan.

The Gunners are dealing with selection headaches due to injuries and players testing positive for COVID-19.

As they prepare to take on Liverpool in the Carabao Cup semi final first leg at Anfield on Thursday, Arteta was asked if he had considered delaying Maitland-Niles' loan move.

He told reporters: "We talked about all the possibilities. When you are finalising a deal there are certain things that you cannot miss out if you want to complete that deal.

"Again, I said the interest of the player was that clear after what happened in the summer that we felt it was the right thing to do and it was a matter of over a day or two that we tried to do that.

"But as well you have to have the player in the right mindset to compete, knowing that he's going to leave in the next day.

"I don't think that we can make a decision that is going to have an impact in the next six, 18 months, just for a day or two, I don't think it's very logically."