Barcelona midfielder Denis Suarez will help to solve Arsenal’s shortage of wingers, according to head coach Unai Emery.

Suarez is set to join Arsenal on loan until the end of the season after falling out of favour under Ernesto Valverde at Barca, but he did not manage to complete his move in time to feature in the Gunners’ 2-1 Premier League win over Cardiff City on Tuesday.

Also missing for Arsenal was Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who picked up a knee injury and joined teammates Hector Bellerin, Sokratis and Laurent Koscielny in the treatment room.

After seeing goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette help Arsenal to victory over the Bluebirds, Emery told reporters: ‘We need wingers.

‘Suarez, who I know, has this quality.’

Asked whether the 25-year-old Spaniard would handle the physicality of the Premier League, Emery replied: ‘I don’t know now.

‘It’s a challenge for him, and also [it is a challenge for him] to help us.’

With just two days remaining before the close of the transfer window, Emery was coy on potential arrivals, despite Arsenal being linked with Inter’s Ivan Perisic.

He said: ‘If a player can come here to help us, he will come. The last news, I don’t know. My focus is on the match. Maybe tonight or tomorrow [Wednesday] I will speak.’

Looking ahead to Sunday’s trip to face Premier League champions City at the Etihad Stadium, and whether or not any of his injured players would be likely to return, Emery said: ‘I don’t know now. We need to know tomorrow in training.

‘I hope some players can be with us. Ainsley [Maitland-Niles], I hope.’