Arsenal visit Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on Wednesday evening, and manager Mikel Arteta has provided an injury update on a number of crucial players ahead of the last 16 tie.
The Gunners edged past Mansfield Town in the FA Cup on Saturday, using a heavily-rotated side that included two 16-year-olds. This should mean that Arteta’s squad is fresh and raring to go in Germany, with an unprecedented quadruple still on the line.
Leverkusen come into this clash off the back of a chaotic 3-3 draw against Freiburg in their last encounter – a result that didn’t do much in strengthening their pursuit of a top-four finish in the Bundesliga. Opta Analyst’s model heavily favours Arsenal in this tie, and thus, Arteta and his team will be confident of emerging victorious from the Rhineland.
Mikel Arteta issues injury updates on Leandro Trossard and Riccardo Calafiori
Aside from progressing past Mansfield and into the last eight of the FA Cup, Arsenal’s primary mission from the fixture in Nottinghamshire would’ve been to escape unscathed on the injury front. This didn’t quite materialise.
Leandro Trossard was forced off the pitch in the 38th minute with a fitness problem and was subsequently replaced by Piero Hincapie. Meanwhile, Riccardo Calafiori was also withdrawn with appeared to be a hamstring problem.
These setbacks inevitably raised alarm bells amongst Gunners supporters, although both players were pictured in training on Tuesday morning.
Speaking to the media in Leverkusen on Tuesday evening, Arteta confirmed that both Trossard and Calafiori have travelled with the squad to Western Germany and are in contention for Wednesday’s Champions League match.
“Those two are a possibility, we will see tomorrow,” he said.
Mikel Arteta provides injury updates on William Saliba, Martin Odegaard and Ben White
Trossard and Calafiori weren’t the only Arsenal players whose availability for the Leverkusen away leg was questioned. William Saliba missed the Gunners’ trip to Brighton, as well as the visit to Mansfield, prompting concerns that the Frenchman has a serious injury issue.
However, like his Belgian and Italian counterparts, Saliba was in training on Tuesday and has travelled with the rest of the squad.
“Yes,” Arteta said bluntly in his press conference, when asked about the centre-back’s availability.
Elsewhere, Ben White may be on the brink of a return after being out for several weeks. The English defender wasn’t spotted in open training on Monday, but has travelled. Arteta confirmed on Tuesday that the Leverkusen game could mark White’s return to action.
Ben White travelling with the squad to Leverkusen. pic.twitter.com/5rFWVdEqtf
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Meanwhile, Martin Odegaard remains unavailable. The Norwegian has been persistently struggling with a knee problem this term, and wasn’t on the flight to Germany.
“He is out,” Arteta said on Odegaard.
