Mikel Arteta has admitted Arsenal's mounting injury problems in defence threaten to derail their quest for silverware on four fronts this season. The manager's concerns intensified as he revealed centre-back William Saliba is a serious doubt for the crucial first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final away at Chelsea on Wednesday.
Defensive Crisis Hits Arsenal Ahead of Chelsea Test
The situation unfolded after Saliba and new signing Leandro Trossard were both absent from the squad for Sunday's FA Cup victory at Portsmouth. While it was initially assumed the pair were being rested, Arteta confirmed on Tuesday that Saliba is struggling with an unspecified injury and Trossard is also doubtful for the trip to Stamford Bridge.
This compounds an existing defensive shortage. Piero Hincapié and Riccardo Calafiori remain sidelined with groin and muscular issues respectively, while Cristhian Mosquera continues his recovery from an ankle injury and is not expected back until next month.
Nørgaard Set for Unlikely Centre-Back Role Again
With options severely limited, Arsenal are likely to once again deploy midfielder Christian Nørgaard as a makeshift centre-back, a role he filled at Fratton Park. The Denmark international, signed from Brentford in the summer, is yet to start a Premier League game for the Gunners.
There is some positive news, however, as Ben White's return to availability means Declan Rice is not expected to be deployed as an emergency right-back, as he was against Brighton last month.
When asked if defensive injuries could undermine Arsenal's trophy ambitions, Arteta was candid. "Yes, because we have experienced that first of all in the front line and then in the back line," he said. "But we are trying to find solutions to protect our players."
He praised the adaptability of his squad, adding: "The good thing is that players you ask to play in different positions like Christian for example or Dec, they fulfil their role immediately in a great way and we need to navigate now in the next few weeks through that situation." Of Nørgaard specifically, Arteta stated simply: "He is always ready to fulfil any role."
Learning from Past Carabao Cup Pain
Saliba's potential absence is a particular blow, given the French defender has already missed five games in December due to an ankle problem picked up in November. His potential unavailability means Nørgaard and Gabriel Magalhães would become the eighth different central defensive partnership used by Arsenal this season.
The memory of last season's Carabao Cup semi-final exit is fresh for Arteta and his players. A 2-0 first-leg defeat at home to Newcastle United left them with a mountain to climb, and they were ultimately knocked out 4-0 on aggregate by the eventual winners.
Arteta is hopeful his squad has learned from that "painful" experience as they chase a first major trophy since the 2020 FA Cup. "Football gives you another chance," he reflected. "We have been really consistent again in this competition and now we have to knock another big team out to be in the final. That is the mission."
He emphasised the importance of efficiency in such high-stakes games: "Hopefully we have learned from last year because it was painful, especially in the manner that the games went, and the amount of chances we missed to go through. So this year we want to be better and more efficient."
Concluding with a rallying cry, the Arsenal manager highlighted the motivating power of being so close to a final: "The more you are involved in these kind of games the better because it gives you an edge. It brings the team a different kind of energy and it gives you the sense that the objective is very, very close, and that’s a massive motivation for everybody. We know that we are two games away from playing a final."
