Gunners Face Injury Crisis Ahead of Chelsea Clash but Take Comfort in Set-Piece Dominance
Arsenal head into Tuesday evening’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Chelsea with one foot in the final, though their preparations have been severely hampered by a growing injury list. The Gunners are looking to protect a 3-2 aggregate lead at the Emirates after a frantic first leg at Stamford Bridge. They will, however, have to attempt to book their ticket to Wembley without two of their most influential players.
Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard have both been completely ruled out of the squad for the upcoming London derby. Saka actually sustained his issue during the warm-up prior to the weekend’s Premier League game against Leeds United and was subsequently pulled from the lineup. Speaking to the press, Mikel Arteta gave a rather cautious update on the winger. He mentioned the England international was doing alright but needed further tests, admitting the Chelsea game simply came too soon for him to feature.
Timeline for Return
Saka ended up sitting out the final training sessions ahead of the cup tie. Whispers around the club suggest the medical team is tentatively aiming to have him fit and firing for the North London Derby on February 22. If that timeline holds true, he is guaranteed to miss league encounters with Sunderland and Brentford, as well as the FA Cup fourth-round tie against League One outfit Wigan Athletic.
Odegaard’s situation appears slightly more optimistic. The Norwegian midfielder pushed through a fitness test the day before the Chelsea match but ultimately felt too uncomfortable to participate. Arteta remains hopeful his captain might be available for selection by the time the weekend rolls around.
There is significantly worse news regarding Mikel Merino. The Spanish midfielder is set for a prolonged spell on the sidelines and requires surgery to fix a foot problem. Arteta didn’t hide his frustration over the situation, calling it a massive blow given Merino’s versatility and tactical capacity to play across various positions. Because it is a highly unusual injury, the medical staff will have to monitor his recovery on a day-by-day basis post-surgery. Arteta stressed that while Merino will inevitably push himself to return as quickly as humanly possible, the healing process for such a rare issue simply cannot be rushed.
A Lethal Weapon
Despite these mounting midfield and attacking headaches, Arsenal have found a remarkably reliable way to bail themselves out of trouble lately. Their dominance from dead-ball situations is genuinely unprecedented this season.
Just this past weekend, the team’s absolute mastery of corners proved to be the ultimate difference-maker. OptaJoe confirmed that Arsenal have now scored a decisive goal from a corner for the ninth time this campaign, establishing a brand new record for a team in a single season. They punished Chelsea in a recent top-of-the-table league encounter using exactly this tactic, nodding home two vital goals directly from corner kicks to secure the victory.
The Return of Havertz
Amidst the gloom of fresh injuries, Arteta was at least able to welcome Kai Havertz back into the fold during that recent London derby against the Blues. The German international had been nursing a muscle injury that kept him out of the previous four competitive fixtures, but he finally made his return to the matchday squad.
Arteta had initially named an unchanged starting eleven from the side that ruthlessly dismantled Tottenham Hotspur 4-1. Havertz took his spot on the bench before finally being introduced in the 76th minute, replacing Swedish striker Viktor Gyökeres while the Gunners were holding a narrow 2-1 lead.
It has been an incredibly frustrating campaign for the 26-year-old forward. A severe knee operation wiped out nearly the entire first half of his season. He managed to make a brief comeback on January 11 before immediately suffering that subsequent muscle setback. Arsenal fans will be desperately hoping his late cameo marks the end of his injury nightmare, especially now that attacking reinforcements are so desperately needed to cover for Saka.
