Mikel Arteta has revealed a double injury blow for Arsenal following their comfortable 4-0 FA Cup victory over Wigan Athletic, casting a shadow over an otherwise perfect afternoon.
Double Blow for Gunners: White and Calafiori Doubtful for Wolves Clash
The Gunners cruised into the fourth round, but the victory came at a cost. Arteta confirmed after the match that defenders Riccardo Calafiori and Ben White are now doubts for the midweek trip to Wolves.
Calafiori suffered a setback before a ball was even kicked. The Italian was named in the starting XI but pulled up during the warm-up.
Arsenal were forced into a late reshuffle, with Bukayo Saka coming into the lineup to replace him.
The defensive issues escalated in the final ten minutes at the Emirates. Ben White went down on the pitch and required immediate medical attention, unable to continue.
The right-back had to be replaced, adding to Arteta’s growing list of concerns at the back.
“[Calafiori] and Ben are the only doubts,” Arteta confirmed to the media.
“We have to wait and see in the next 48 hours how things develop.”
The fitness worries do not stop there. Captain Martin Odegaard also missed the Wigan clash entirely.
The Norwegian playmaker picked up a knee issue during the second half of the win over Brentford on Thursday night.
Although he finished that game, observers spotted him limping heavily after the final whistle.
Arteta explained the situation: “Martin we’ll have to wait and see. He picked that knock on the action when we conceded the goal [against Brentford] and he wasn’t fit for today.”
The midfield area is becoming a particular headache for the Arsenal boss.
Kai Havertz remains sidelined with a muscle injury, while Mikel Merino is fighting a race against time to feature again this season following foot surgery.
The decision to let Ethan Nwaneri join Marseille on loan in January has also reduced Arteta’s depth in the center of the park.
“It changes,” Arteta said regarding the injury patterns.
“Before it was the strikers, then it was the defenders, now it’s the midfielders. But we are still coping with that.”
With a crucial Premier League fixture at Molineux looming on Wednesday, Arteta admits he needs bodies back quickly.
“We need some players back and fit to give us not only numbers but different options. The quicker the better,” he added.
