LONDON -- Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has confirmed midfielder Aaron Ramsey remains sidelined with a hamstring problem for Tuesday's Premier League game at Everton, and said he is confident that Gabriel Paulista can help replace injured centre-back Shkodran Mustafi.
Ramsey missed Saturday's 3-1 win over Stoke at the Emirates Stadium with what the club called a "slight" hamstring problem, but Wenger said he has yet to recover for the trip to Goodison Park.
"Ramsey is still not ready," Wenger said at his news conference on Monday, without offering a return date for the Wales international.
Mustafi's absence is a bigger problem for the Gunners, though, with the defender expected to be out for three weeks after injuring his hamstring in the Stoke game.
It means Gabriel Paulista will likely get a run of games in central defence, and Wenger thinks the Brazilian's recent spell filling in for Hector Bellerin at right-back will help him as he returns to his natural position.
"He's wanting always to do well," he saiud. "He has adapted very well to the right-back position, and I think it helped him to lift his level of confidence. And hopefully he can come in and do well."
Wenger also has 21-year-old Rob Holding as an option but acknowledged that Gabriel is his first choice as a replacement. Mustafi has been credited with helping to shore up the Gunners' defence since his £35 million move from Valencia in August, and Arsenal remain unbeaten with him in the lineup.
Wenger acknowledged that it will be a challenge to cope without him during the crucial Christmas period, which includes an away game at Manchester City on Sunday, but said his squad has already proven it can overcome injuries.
"It is a challenge, because we had a good defensive stability," Wenger said. "But we have Gabriel, we have Holding who can come in for him. Overall I'm confident that both of them can do well. But that's one of the tests we have.
"But we've had many tests since the start of the season, with players like [Santi] Cazorla who suddenly have moved out of the team, and we have managed to deal with it. And that's another challenge."
Arsenal are second in the Premier League table, three points behind leaders Chelsea, having seen Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham all drop points this past weekend. However, they're still just four points ahead of fourth-placed City, and Wenger said that the next couple of weeks will be crucial for their title challenge.
"When you look at the teams around us, you can see that the margin of difference between the teams has shrunk a lot," he said. "So the way you respond in every single game is absolutely vital. It's a very important period where everybody has to be absolutely focused on our results and the way we want to play."