Arsene Wenger has told talkSPORT that Arsenal will have to find an "internal solution" to their centre-back problem for Sunday's Premier League opener, despite suggestions a deal for Valencia's Shkodran Mustafi is close.

Arsenal will be without the injured Per Mertesacker and Gabriel Paulista for the meeting with Liverpool on Sunday, while Laurent Koscielny is also set to be unavailable after his late return to training after featuring in the Euro 2016 final.

The Times has reported that Arsenal are close to a breakthrough in their efforts to sign Mustafi and that a deal in the region of £20 million is likely, while Sky Sports said on Wednesday that negotiations were ongoing and he could cost £30m. Manchester City's Jason Denayer has also been linked.

Wenger, though, has indicated that he is set to rely on his existing options for the home meeting with Liverpool, with Calum Chambers, Rob Holding, Krystian Bielik and left-back Nacho Monreal among his options to play in the centre of defence.

"We've had two unexpected injuries with Mertesacker and Gabriel, and Koscielny came back very late so we are in a difficult position for Sunday's game against Liverpool," Wenger said.

"This is very frustrating, but it's a part of the game as well. Sometimes you find a solution that you wouldn't find if you had no injuries.

"We are short on the experience front and this, centre-back, is a position where experience plays an important part. Of course we will look to add, we are working on it, but until Sunday I have to find an internal solution and an efficient solution."

He said 20-year-old Holding, who joined from Bolton Wanderers last month, has done "extremely well" since arriving at the club and suggested he could hand him his Premier League debut.

"You want the spectacular players to come to the Premier League, but that means young players lose that opportunity to get a chance," he said. "Arsenal are one of the clubs who still have the guts to do that.

"I know it's more glamorous to sign a £60m player than to give a chance to a young player, but in my job you have to look and focus on the quality of the player, and not just the numbers."