Arsenal supervisor Mikel Arteta has given a regarding replace on Ethan Nwaneri following the 17-year-old’s half-time withdrawal in opposition to Brighton & Hove Albion on the weekend.
Nwaneri had stepped into the void left by Bukayo Saka’s absence whereas he recovers from profitable hamstring surgical procedure. The teenager made his first Premier League begin in opposition to Brentford on New Yr’s Day, earlier than protecting that place for the journey to the south coast.
However Nwaneri was worryingly changed at half-time by Gabriel Martinelli, with Arteta now confirming Arsenal followers’ worst fears about his situation.
Talking at a press convention forward of Tuesday evening’s Carabao Cup semi-final first leg in opposition to Newcastle United, Arteta mentioned: “Sadly, he has picked up an harm and he’s going to be out for just a few weeks.
Pressed on the character of the issue, the Spaniard merely replied: “Muscular”.
There was no additional element supplied on a precise return date, however with Saka already anticipated to out till March, it presents the Gunners with an actual headache on the appropriate flank. Leandro Trossard can play there however is extra suited to the left, whereas Gabriel Jesus has been in prime kind as a ‘quantity 9’.
Raheem Sterling now seems extra more likely to keep owing to the shortage of canopy, having hardly featured through the first half of his season-long mortgage from Chelsea and lacking the final 4 video games with a knee harm. The previous England winger is anticipated again a lot ahead of Saka or Nwaneri, nevertheless.
Nwaneri had appeared set for an enormous position in January alone, with Arsenal in motion seven extra instances throughout 4 completely different competitions earlier than the top of the month. It’s a run of video games that features clashes with Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, Girona and Dinamo Zagreb.
The Gunners are additionally as a result of face Manchester Metropolis on the Emirates Stadium in February’s first recreation, although Arteta’s focus was firmly on the problem Newcastle will convey to north London.
“I’m very excited to play the sport. House crowd, semi-final, the chance to earn the appropriate to be in a closing,” he remarked. “It begins tomorrow, two legs and it’s clearly going to be two lengthy video games in opposition to a really aggressive group. We all know that however very excited and we’d like an enormous, large environment in our stadium.
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