Arsenal will aim to continue the excellent run of form and reach the EFL Cup quarter-finals when they welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to the Emirates for the fourth round on Wednesday night. Mikel Arteta has many new injury concerns to worry about ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
William Saliba, Riccardo Calafiori, Declan Rice, and Gabriel Martinelli picked up issues and forced Arteta to make injury-enforced substitutions in the Premier League clash with Crystal Palace this past weekend. The quartet will unlikely feature against Brighton and Hove Albion on Wednesday.
Additionally, Noni Madueke, Kai Havertz, and Gabriel Jesus remain in the treatment room due to their knee injuries. Meanwhile, during his pre-match press conference, Arteta provided fitness updates on Saliba, Rice, Martinelli, and Piero Hincapie, who has struggled with a groin issue in the last few weeks.
The Arsenal manager said, “He’s [Saliba] out. We are assessing him, but he won’t be involved in this match. It looks like he’s [Martinelli] going to be out as well. We have to do some more tests and see the extent of the injury, but this game is going to be too early for him. Rice will be available, and (Calafiori) as well, yes.”
“He [Ben White] had a setback and that hasn’t helped. It was an injury that kept him out for a few weeks and we had to manage his load. The reason why he’s not been playing is to manage that; he’s in a good place now, he’s been training more recently and his feeling has been very good.”
Meanwhile, discussing Hincapie, Arteta said, “He’s a warrior; he’s going to bring such intensity, physicality, and emotion to the team as well. He’s quality on the ball; he’s a player who is super keen. He can play inside, he can play in wide positions, he’s done it, as you said, in different ways, and now we need to get him up to speed because the moment that physically he’s at his best, he’s going to raise the level.”
Kepa Arrizabalaga will replace David Raya between the sticks, with Arsenal lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him against Brighton & Hove Albion on Wednesday. The backline will feature Jurrien Timber, Cristhian Mosquera, Piero Hincapie, and Myles Lewis-Skelly.
As for the midfield unit, Christian Norgaard and Mikel Merino will pair up in the double pivot, with Eberechi Eze reprising the no. 10 role. Finally, Viktor Gyokeres will lead the line for the home side against Brighton, with Leandro Trossard and Ethan Nwaneri being the two wide attackers.
Predicted Arsenal XI: Kepa; Timber, Mosquera, Hincapie, Lewis-Skelly; Norgaard, Merino; Nwaneri, Eze, Trossard; Gyokeres
