Arsenal will visit Liverpool in the first leg of the semi-final of the EFL Cup on Thursday at the Anfield Stadium. However, the Gunners are set to miss numerous important players ahead of the clash against Liverpool due to the recent game in the Fa Cup.
The Gunners were recently knocked out in the third round of the FA Cup by Nottingham Forest. Lewis Grabban scored for the hosts in the 83rd minute which Mikel Arteta’s men failed to recover.
Arsenal missed a lot of players due to AFCON. Thomas Partey, Nicolas Pepe, and Pierre Emerick Aubameyang are all out of the squad to represent their nations in AFCON.
The Gunners also missed a lot of important players due to injuries and COVID. They are also set to miss a majority of them ahead of the semi-final clash against Liverpool.
Players injured for Arsenal against Liverpool
Arsenal’s first XI players consisting of Emile Smith Rowe, Takehiro Tomiyasu, and Granit Xhaka missed the match against Nottingham Forest.
Smith Rowe missed the match due to a groin injury. Takehiro Tomiyasu also missed the clash as he is dealing with a calf problem. Meanwhile, Granit Xhaka and Folarin Balogun were out for a positive COVID result.
The trio of Smith Rowe, Tomiyasu, and Xhaka might miss the important match against Liverpool. As a result, The Gunners’ camp is in grave concern to miss out on its key players.
Mikel Arteta on injuries
Arsenal manager seemed to be not too optimistic about the return of his players in the playing XI. Arteta spoke about Xhaka’s status for the Liverpool fixture:
“I do not know. It will depend in the next few days how he is feeling”
Meanwhile, he also threw some light on the other injuries:
“Again, it depends how they evolve. They were injured. We have to see in the next few days how they are.”
However, Arteta would be pleased with the return of Gabriel Magalhaes, who missed the match due to suspension. The return of the Brazilian defender would surely boost Arsenal’s defence.
The Gunners will travel to Anfield on Thursday to face Liverpool in the first leg of their semi-final, with the original game to be rearranged due to COVID-19.
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