Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta to miss Manchester City game after COVID-19 positive test

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will sit out Saturday's Premier League game at home to Manchester City after testing positive for COVID-19, the club said on Wednesday.

Arsenal are fourth in the table on 35 points after 19 games, 12 points behind leaders City.

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"Mikel is isolating in line with Government guidelines and we wish him well," Arsenal said in a statement.

Arteta previously tested positive in March 2020, shortly before the pandemic forced the Premier League to shut down for more than three months.

The 39-year-old is also the latest Premier League manager to test positive after Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira and Aston Villa's Steven Gerrard.

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A record 103 positive COVID-19 cases were found among players and staff in the Premier League over the past week following a raft of fixture postponements during the busy festive period.

Britain reported a record 129,471 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday as it battles a surge in infections fuelled by the Omicron variant.