The Gunners prepare to travel north to face the Magpies on Saturday afternoon.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will be hoping that a midweek Carabao Cup defeat will not have an impact on his team’s Premier League form as they travel to high-flying Newcastle United this afternoon.
The Gunners are coming off a 3-1 defeat to West Ham in the fourth round of the competition, with Ben White’s early own goal giving David Moyes’ side the lead. Despite having only five shots on goal all game, Mohamed Kudus doubled the Hammers’ lead with a great first touch and calm finish past Aaron Ramsdale.
Jarrod Bowen’s volleyed effort 10 minutes later effectively sealed the Gunners’ fate, before Martin Odegaard’s consolation goal saw Arteta’s men exit the competition only one round further than they did last season. They’re still unbeaten in the league and will be looking to keep that streak going against the Magpies this weekend.
They will be missing a few key players, including Gabriel Jesus, who suffered a hamstring injury in the final ten minutes of their Champions League match against Sevilla. Mikel Arteta confirmed the star’s absence from the trip at a press conference on Friday, saying, “I cannot guarantee that we are trying to get that recovery as soon as possible.” I said it would be weeks, but not months.
“It’s football. That is what occurs. He hasn’t had many muscle injuries, but the load he’s had in the last few weeks is comparable to what he’s done in the past.
“Even when he was at City, it was very different, and he’s still adjusting.” We’ve lost four key players in recent weeks, but it’s the challenges you face throughout the season.”
Smith, Emile Rowe, who is 23 years old, will also be absent from the lineup due to a knee injury. Arteta confirmed he’ll be out for several weeks, but gave no timetable for his return.
Thomas Partey is another star set to miss time as he recovers from an injury, with Jurrien Timber the other obvious no-show for the Gunners. The Dutchman is expected to miss the rest of the season after suffering a knee injury just 47 minutes into his debut against Nottingham Forest on the opening weekend.
Arsenal’s full squad for this weekend is as follows:
Aaron Ramsdale, David Raya, and James Hillson are the goalkeepers.
Cedric Soares, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Ben White, Gabriel Magalhaes, Jakub Kiwior, and William Saliba are the defenders.
Mohamed Elneny, Jorginho, Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, and Fabio Vieira are the midfielders.
Leandro Trossard, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Reiss Nelson, and Eddie Nketiah are the attackers.
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