Arsenal midfielder Eberechi Eze has been sidelined due to a calf injury and will miss England’s upcoming friendlies against Uruguay and Japan later this month.
The 27-year-old was included in Thomas Tuchel’s 35-man squad announced earlier this week but had to watch the Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City from the sidelines on Sunday.
When asked if Eze would be joining the England squad afterward, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta confirmed, “No, he’s out. We need to perform another scan in six or seven days and we’ll see what the results show. It’s his calf.”
Sources have indicated to ESPN that Harvey Barnes could be considered as a replacement for Eze, but the Football Association has yet to announce any formal call-ups.
In the meantime, City defender Nico O’Reilly, who was also included in Tuchel’s squad, scored two goals at Wembley, leading Pep Guardiola to claim his 19th trophy in nine years at the club.
Arsenal is still chasing its first silverware since winning the FA Cup in 2020, though the team currently holds a nine-point lead at the top of the Premier League, with quarter-final matches approaching in both the FA Cup and the Champions League.
Arteta stated, “What this team has achieved over the last eight months has been incredible. We’re going to use this setback as motivation to have the most extraordinary two months together that we’ve ever experienced. It’s on us to manage that energy appropriately. We must confront the pain and disappointment—that’s a normal part of football.”
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Furthermore, Arteta defended his choice to field backup goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, whose failed attempt to catch a cross led to Manchester City’s first goal. “I have to do what I believe is right, which is honest and fair. Kepa has been our keeper throughout this competition, and it would have been very unjust to make a change. We’ve based our decision on what we’ve observed from him during this competition.” Arteta added, “Errors are a part of football, and unfortunately, they occurred at a crucial juncture in the match.”