A depleted Arsenal side will take on Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at the Emirates, with several players in doubt.
Arsenal have an evolving injury crisis in the team, with Mikel Arteta set to dig deep to find solutions for a few positions. The Gunners come into the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg without a few influential stars like Bukayo Saka.
During his pre-match press conference, Mikel Arteta also provided a fitness update on Ethan Nwaneri, with the Arsenal boss confirming a muscle injury for the youngster that will keep him out for a few weeks at least.
Arteta also insisted Kai Havertz is still a doubt following a bout with illness, which has seen him miss the last two games in a row. Arteta said, “I hope so, but I don’t want to say yes because last time I said I thought he was going to be fit, and he wasn’t fit.”
Beyond that, Arteta also spoke of the importance of the upcoming semifinal and said, “We’re very excited to play the game in front of our crowd. A semifinal is an opportunity to earn the right to be in a final, and that starts tomorrow with two legs. Obviously, they’re going to be two long games against a very competitive team, we know that, but very excited, and we need a big, big atmosphere in our stadium.”
In terms of his team selection, Arteta will consider the fact that there are already a lot of absentees, and the squad is thin at the moment. The Spaniard could consider making a few tweaks depending on the available options, with Jakub Kiwior likely to come in for Gabriel Magalhaes in the central defensive partnership.
William Saliba might have to keep playing for the problems on the right-hand side of the defence, while Jurrien Timber also returns from his one-match suspension. Myles Lewis-Skelly might come in for Riccardo Calafiori at left-back, while David Raya will continue in goal as Neto remains cup-tied in this competition.
Arteta might keep Thomas Partey on the bench to manage his fitness, as he is the only other alternative to the troubled right-back position. Hence, Jorginho might come in the holding midfield role as Declan Rice moves to the left-hand side, while Martin Odegaard will feature on the right-hand side.
With Nwaneri injured and Havertz doubtful for this clash, Arteta’s attacking options are thin for this game. Hence, Gabriel Jesus is expected to lead the line with the support of Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard on either side of the front three.
Predicted Arsenal XI: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Jorginho, Rice; Martinelli, Jesus, Trossard
