Gabriel Martinelli and William Saliba have been ruled out of Arsenal’s upcoming Carabao Cup fourth round match against Brighton & Hove Albion, according to head coach Mikel Arteta. The match is set to take place at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.
Arteta confirmed that Saliba would not participate due to ongoing assessments of his condition. He stated, “(Saliba) is out… We won’t involve him in this match.” Regarding Martinelli, Arteta indicated that further tests are needed to evaluate the severity of an injury that left the forward limping after Arsenal’s recent 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace. Arteta noted, “It looks as well that (Martinelli) is going to be out… this game is going to be too early for him.”
On a positive note for the Gunners, Declan Rice, Riccardo Calafiori, and Bukayo Saka are expected to be available for the tie. Arteta reassured fans, saying, “He’s going to be fine,” referring to Saka, who missed training prior to the Palace match due to illness but is set to return.
In their recent fixture against Crystal Palace, Martinelli had come on for Saka in the 66th minute, while Saliba was substituted at half-time for Cristhian Mosquera as he had experienced discomfort. This was not the first time Mosquera filled in for an injured Saliba this season, having done so earlier in a match against Liverpool.
Adding to the injury concerns, Martin Odegaard is sidelined with an MCL injury in his left knee and is projected to be out until after the November international break. Other unavailable players include Noni Madueke and Kai Havertz.
Despite the setbacks, Arsenal will look to leverage the depth of their roster against Brighton, with key players ready to step up in the absence of their injured teammates.