Mikel Arteta has provided an update on Arsenal’s injury situation ahead of Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup clash with Brighton & Hove Albion. Declan Rice, Gabriel Martinelli, Riccardo Calafiori and William Saliba were injured in the game against Crystal Palace at the weekend.
Saliba was substituted at halftime on Sunday, with Rice and Calafioli sent off in the second half. Martinelli was seen limping down the tunnel after “feeling something”. At Tuesday’s press conference, Arteta admitted Saliba is not fit enough to be in the squad for the game against Brighton, while Martinelli faces a late fitness test but remains a big question mark at the moment.
Asked how long the Frenchman will be out, Arteta said: “No, we are evaluating him but he will not play in this game.”
Asked about Martinelli, the Spaniard added: “Yes, it seems certain that he will be absent.”
“We will have to undergo another test to confirm the extent of the injury, but this match will be completely different.”
However, Arteta admitted that Rice and Calafiori are also options.
Bukayo Saka played in the match against Palace despite feeling unwell and was substituted in the second half. But Arteta said: “Yeah, he’ll be fine.”
Meanwhile, Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz, Martin Odegaard and Noni Madueke remain absent.
Asked if the depth of the squad would make them more relaxed, Arteta replied: “Relaxation is not an option in football. We will try to manage our time and workload as best as possible.”
“Up front, that’s where we have more difficulty. Gaby Jesus is out, Kai is out, Martinelli and Maduke are out. We don’t have many options, so we have to be more careful.”
If Arsenal beat Brighton on Wednesday night, they will advance to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.
