Arsenal are preparing to face off against Liam Rosenior’s Chelsea on Wednesday in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg.
The Gunners are hoping to head into the second leg at the Emirates with a lead, which could significantly help boost their chances of getting into the final at Wembley for the first piece of silverware of the season under manager Mikel Arteta.
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Heading into the game, Arsenal will be without Max Dowman, and Piero Hincapie, but Riccardo Calafiori and Cristhian Mosquera could make a return on Wednesday night.
They are in a decent position injury-wise, which is more than can be said for Chelsea, as Liam Rosenior could miss three star players on Wednesday, which would provide Arsenal with a massive boost.
Chelsea could be without Palmer, James and Gusto
The Blues could be missing three of their star players for the game, which would be a tough break for new manager Rosenior, but it would be a massive boost for Arsenal’s chances. Firstly, defender Malo Gusto could be out, as he is dealing with a knock that he picked up from their last Premier league game against Fulham.
Reece James is also a doubt, and it would be a massive loss for Chelsea to play without their captain, especially considering his threat from set-pieces too.
But, perhaps the biggest problem for the Blues is Cole Palmer, as it is understood that he could also miss the game with a knock. Without Palmer, Chelsea would have to rely on other playmakers, and may struggle against the tough Arsenal defence.
New Blues boss Liam Rosenior said over the weekend: “Malo, Cole and Reece were precautionary today. I don’t want to take any risks at this stage of the season. They had minor tweaks or knocks from the Fulham game. And I feel like I’ve got such a good squad here. I don’t need to risk their health at the moment.”
The trio are currently being assessed by Chelsea’s training staff ahead of Wednesday’s game, and if they are unavailable, it could seriously help Arsenal’s chances of taking a lead into the second leg.
Click here to see Arsenal’s first team squad for the 2025/26 season.