Arsenal host Crystal Palace on Tuesday night in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals as the Gunners aim to reach the semi-finals for the third time in five years.
As the Eagles deal with a growing injury list, Arsenal could be in luck ahead of their Carabao Cup quarter-final clash with Crystal Palace.
The Gunners will welcome Oliver Glasner’s side to the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night with a bid for a coveted semi-final spot. Arsenal have reached the semi-finals twice in the last five years but have not reached the final since 2018.
In contrast, Palace comfortably won last season’s FA Cup and lifted the trophy, but their Carabao Cup journey was less fruitful. Last season they were shown the way out at this stage by none other than Arsenal and have not reached the semi-finals since 2012.
The two teams met in the Premier League on Saturday night, with Arsenal beating Everton 1-0 thanks to a penalty from Victor Gokeres, while Palace lost to Leeds United.
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A quick turnaround for Tuesday’s game will be a challenge for both teams, but especially for Palace, who are suffering from a growing injury crisis. Defeat at Elland Road was just the first blow for Glasner this weekend, with potential team availability issues adding to his woes, Football London reports.
Adding to Palace’s problems is the absence of Ismalia Sarr for the African Cup of Nations. He and the Senegal team begin their match against Botswana on Tuesday.
Defender Daniel Muñoz remains sidelined with a knee problem that requires surgical intervention. The player will not be available until the end of January at the earliest and will not be able to take part in Tuesday night’s game.
“Bad news. Dani will be out for a few weeks and will have surgery. The prognosis is four to six weeks, but he should be ready to play after that. But we don’t know when he’ll have surgery. We’re always being cautious. It doesn’t seem like it’s too serious,” Glasner told reporters earlier this month.
Palace are also closely monitoring the condition of striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, who has been battling knee problems in recent weeks. He played in the game against Leeds, but was sent off with just over 10 minutes remaining.
The rushed schedule could pose a dilemma for Glasner heading into Tuesday’s game, especially as the French forward has been playing through some discomfort and his game time has been carefully controlled. It remains unclear whether he will be available for the game against Arsenal, but it would be a major setback for the Eagles if he were to miss out.
Adding to Palace’s woes is the fact that Daichi Kamata will be sidelined for the next few weeks. The midfielder suffered a serious hamstring injury earlier this month and faces a number of weeks out, meaning he will not be able to play against the Gunners.
Arsenal are understandably dealing with their own injury problems. Cristian Mosquera, Ben White and Gabriel currently represent fitness concerns on the defensive front.
