Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that defender William Saliba and forward Gabriel Martinelli will miss Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup tie against Brighton & Hove Albion due to injuries sustained in the weekend’s Premier League victory over Crystal Palace.
Speaking during his pre-match press conference at the Sobha Realty Training Centre on Tuesday, Arteta said Saliba is being assessed but will not feature in the midweek encounter.
“He’s out,” Arteta said. “We are assessing him, but he won’t be involved in this match.”
The Arsenal boss also revealed that Martinelli will not be available for selection as he continues to recover from a knock. “It looks like he’s going to be out as well. We have to do some more tests and see the extent of the injury, but this game is going to be too early for him,” he added.
However, Arteta delivered a boost to fans with positive updates on Declan Rice and Riccardo Calafiori, both of whom were substituted during the win over Crystal Palace. “Rice will be available, and Calafiori as well,” he confirmed.
Bukayo Saka, who had been a minor doubt after battling illness, is also expected to be fit for the clash. “He is going to be fine,” Arteta assured.
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Arteta further provided an update on Ben White, who has been managing a recent setback in his recovery. “He had a setback and that hasn’t helped. It was an injury that kept him out for a few weeks and we had to manage his load,” he said.
The manager added that the England defender is now progressing well. “He’s in a good place now, he’s been training more recently and his feeling has been very good. When Ben is at his best, he’s a top player for us and gives us a different threat on that flank.”
Arsenal will host Brighton at the Emirates Stadium as they continue their push for domestic silverware in the 2025 Carabao Cup campaign.