Arsenal take on Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final on Saturday evening, and manager Mikel Arteta has provided an injury update ahead of the clash.
The Gunners eased past Bayer Leverkusen in midweek to secure their place in the Champions League quarter-finals, courtesy of a screamer from Eberechi Eze and a controlled finish from Declan Rice. An unprecedented quadruple remains on the cards, as Arteta’s outfit sit nine points clear at the top of the Premier League and are also in an FA Cup quarter-final.
The morale in the City dressing room will likely be damaged after a poor run of form that has seen Pep Guardiola’s team win just one of their last five matches across all competitions. Arsenal will therefore be confident in their ability to secure their first piece of silverware since 2020.
Mikel Arteta issues injury update on Jurrien Timber
Aside from long-term absentee Mikel Merino, Arsenal’s squad is in a relatively healthy state. The Gunners’ ensemble has been consistently plagued by injury issues this term, with the likes of Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz all spending lengthy spells on the sidelines, although they appear to have turned a corner on this front.
That said, Jurrien Timber is a concern after being forced off the pitch in the win over Everton on Saturday. The Dutchman took a knock to the ankle early on, but chose to continue playing before Arteta eventually decided to hook him seven minutes before half-time.
He subsequently missed the visit of Leverkusen, with Ben White stepping in to deputise. Arteta claimed that Timber should have recovered in a ‘matter of days’ prior to the midweek game, and he’s now provided another update ahead of the Carabao Cup final.
“We have another training session tomorrow, so the ones that are in contention hopefully can give us good news,” he said in his press conference on Friday afternoon.
“We have another session tomorrow, so let’s see if they can make it.”
Martin Odegaard injury update ahead of Arsenal vs Man City
Odegaard has consistently been in and out of the Arsenal side this season. The Norwegian hasn’t been able to sustain a significant run in the team without suffering an injury, culminating in him playing just over 1,000 league minutes thus far this term.
Arteta has earmarked the Carabao Cup final as a potential return match for Odegaard for some time, and the Spaniard’s comments on Friday indicate that the Norwegian has a chance.
Elsewhere, the likes of White and Leandro Trossard, both of whom have had setbacks in recent weeks, are fit and available. Meanwhile, Merino isn’t expected to feature again this season, as he continues his rehabilitation from a broken foot.
