Arsenal’s William Saliba and Gabriel Martinelli will miss Wednesday’s Carabao Cup fourth-round clash against Brighton.
Saliba had to be substituted at halftime in Sunday’s 1-0 Premier League victory over Crystal Palace, while Martinelli limped off shortly after coming on as a second-half substitute.
Gunners manager Mikel Arteta confirmed that Riccardo Calafiori, Declan Rice, and Bukayo Saka will be available for the match, but he is uncertain about the duration of Saliba and Martinelli’s absences.
Regarding Saliba, Arteta stated, “He’s out. We are assessing him, but he won’t be involved in this match.”
On Martinelli, he added, “It also looks like he’s going to be out. We need to conduct more tests to determine the extent of the injury, but this game is going to come too soon for him.”
The absence of Martinelli further complicates Arsenal’s attacking situation, as Noni Madueke, Kai Havertz, and Gabriel Jesus are already sidelined due to injuries.
New signing Viktor Gyökeres, who previously played for Brighton, has been a consistent presence for Arsenal this season, starting all 12 of their top-flight and Champions League matches, scoring five goals.
Arteta is cautious about further injuries depleting his squad.
– Why we already know Arsenal will win the Premier League
– Arsenal vs Brighton: Kick-off time, how to watch, news
Arteta remarked, “We’re facing challenges in the forward line, with Noni, Kai, Gabi Jesus, and now Gabi Martinelli all out. We need to exercise caution as we have fewer options available.
“We’ll aim to manage the players’ workloads effectively to maintain freshness so that the team can keep performing at its current level.”
Following their win over Crystal Palace, Arsenal tops the Premier League table, holding a four-point lead with seven wins, one draw, and one defeat from nine matches.
Arteta welcomes the positive atmosphere surrounding the club: “That’s what we aspire to; when our supporters are thrilled and see the team competing at this level, it enhances belief.
“For clubs aiming for significant trophies, instilling that spirit among the team and the supporters is vital. We find ourselves in a strong position, but we recognize that it’s early in the season and every game presents its own challenges.”