Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta
Image credit: Getty Images
Mikel Arteta has revealed that William Saliba and Gabriel Martinelli will both sit out Arsenal’s Carabao Cup meeting with Brighton on Wednesday night, as the Gunners deal with a series of fitness concerns.
Saliba was substituted at half-time during Arsenal’s 1–0 victory over Crystal Palace at the weekend, a result that extended their strong start to the Premier League campaign. The French defender was one of several players to pick up knocks in that game, with Declan Rice and Riccardo Calafiori also withdrawn in the second half as a precaution.
While Martinelli managed to finish the match, concerns quickly arose after he was spotted limping down the tunnel at full-time. With games coming thick and fast, Arteta is opting for caution ahead of a busy run of fixtures.
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Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Tuesday, the Arsenal manager confirmed that both players would miss the midweek tie.
William Saliba
William Saliba (Image credit: Getty Images)
“[Saliba] is out. We are assessing him, but he won’t be involved this match,” Arteta said. “[Martinelli] looks as well that he is going to be out. We have to, again, do some more tests and see the extent of the injury. But this game is going to be too early for him.”
Despite those setbacks, Arteta provided some encouraging news for supporters, confirming that Rice and Calafiori have recovered in time and will be available for selection. Bukayo Saka, who was substituted at the weekend after struggling with illness, is also expected to be fit.
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The Spaniard hinted that he plans to rotate heavily for the Brighton fixture, with Ben White, Piero Hincapie, and Myles Lewis-Skelly among those likely to feature. Arsenal have played three matches in just over a week, and Arteta is determined to manage workloads carefully.
“We are going to try and manage the minutes and the load as best as possible because we have a lot of games coming up,” he explained. “It is very short recovery time which is a bit unusual but we want to remain very competitive.”
Gabriel Martinelli - Arsenal
Gabriel Martinelli (Image credit: Getty Images)
However, the Arsenal boss admitted that rotation in attack could prove more complicated due to limited options up front. With Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz, Martinelli, and Noni Madueke all sidelined, Viktor Gyokeres remains the club’s only fully fit recognised striker.
“Yeah in the front line, especially, that is where we have more difficulties, with Gabby Jesus out, Kai out, Martinelli and Madueke out,” Arteta conceded.
“That is the area we have to be more careful as we don’t have many options. We are going to try and manage the load as good as possible to make sure the players are fresh and the team can maintain the level they are showing.”
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