Mikel Arteta is expected to ring the changes when Arsenal take on Mansfield Town in the FA Cup tomorrow, so it’s perhaps no surprise that several first team regulars sat out today’s training session.
After a testing win against Brighton on Wednesday, the quartet of Jurrien Timber, Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi and Gabriel Magalhaes, all of whom started at the AMEX, were absent from the session, which was broadcast live on the new Arsenal app.
William Saliba, Martin Odegaard and Ben White, who missed the trip to the south coast, continue to be unavailable, as is long-term absentee Mikel Merino.
Max Dowman and Marli Salmon were involved in the session, while fellow teenager Jaden Dixon, the defender signed from Stoke in January, also took part. All three could be needed if Arteta opts not to risk more tired legs.
Ahead of the tie, Mansfield Town manager Nigel Clough had this to say: “When you see the tie on paper, it looks pretty special. It probably epitomises what the FA Cup is about.
“The supporters, everybody, absolutely can’t wait for it. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing. We’re talking about Mansfield not being here for 51 years – and then Arsenal coming to our little ground as well.
“It’s going to be a great occasion for everybody. It’ll be a bit cheaper for the Arsenal fans to come and watch Mansfield!
He added: “When we play teams from higher up, we have no idea what they are going to do. We have no idea who they are going to play because they have got big games either side of it as well.
“With the strength of their squads, we expect Arsenal to make changes as they played Brighton on Wednesday, and then they have a Champions League game. They have got much bigger concerns than Mansfield away in the FA Cup.
“We can’t do too much on them, and we just say to the players to concentrate on ourselves. It really does focus the team. We can look at Arsenal’s squad, and it will frighten the life out of our lads if we start doing that! So just concentrate on ourselves, as we have in the earlier rounds.”