Reiss Nelson missed out on Arsenal’s defeat to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, so what was the winger’s problem?

Arsenal took on Nottingham Forest in their latest Premier League fixture on Saturday, but Reiss Nelson was a notable absentee from the squad.

Mikel Arteta ended up naming three u21 players on the bench, in light of all the recent injuries, but Nelson’s absence sparked speculation about his future.

The winger is out of contract in the summer, and Arsenal have made three attempts to convince him to extend.

Saturday would have been a good opportunity to give the 23-year-old some minutes, given Gabriel Martinelli’s current absence. Nelson had scored a brace against Forest earlier in the season.

So, with Kieran Tierney seemingly benched amid speculation about his own future, some fans believed Nelson might have missed out for a similar reason.

But various reports suggest Nelson was actually unwell.

With any luck, he’ll be back available again for the final match of the season against Wolves.

Arsenal submitted their third contract offer to Nelson earlier this week, but there’s no suggestion that he’s accepted it yet.

The 23-year-old’s current cameo role in the Arsenal squad reportedly may not appeal to him, with Brighton among the clubs interested in picking him up on a free transfer.

Foreign clubs are also in for Nelson, with Ligue 1 club Nice mentioned as a possible destination.