INJURY UPDATE: MIKEL ARTETA REVEALS SERIOUS DOUBTS FOR ODEGAARD, WHITE, AND CALAFIORI
Arsenal are into the FA Cup fifth round! Read about the 4-0 win over Wigan and the latest injury news on Ben White and Calafiori.
Arsenal's 4-0 victory over Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup fourth round wasn't all good news, as two new injury concerns emerged.
Noni Madueke got Mikel Arteta's team going after 11 minutes, with Gabriel Martinelli adding a second eight minutes later. Jack Hunt's own goal after 23 minutes and Gabriel Jesus' strike inside half an hour sealed the win.
While Arsenal didn't score again, the comfortable victory at the Emirates moved them past the fourth round for the first time since their FA Cup win in 2020 and kept their chances for a quadruple alive.
However, Riccardo Calafiori was pulled from the starting lineup just before kick-off due to an unknown injury, which meant Bukayo Saka had to step up from the bench.
In the second half, Ben White stopped playing and needed treatment before leaving the field with a trainer.
When asked about potential injuries after the game, Arteta said, Calafiori and Ben are the only questions. We'll have to wait and see how they progress in the next couple of days.
Arteta also clarified why Martin Odegaard wasn't in the squad: Martin took a hit when we gave up the goal [against Brentford earlier in the week] and wasn't ready for today.
Calafiori was out for most of January with a muscle issue and has only started twice this year. White has been managed carefully since returning from a hamstring injury in December.
Mikel Merino is still out with a foot injury, and Kai Havertz picked up a muscle strain recently. 'It's tough because we're advancing in the competition,' Arteta said about the growing injury list. First, it was the strikers, then the defenders, and now it's the midfielders, but we're managing.
We need some players back in shape to give us more choices against different opponents. The sooner they're ready, the better.
On the bright side, William Saliba returned after being sick and played for an hour before Marli Salmon, a young player, replaced him.
WHAT IS THE "AURA" MIKEL ARTETA SEES IN BUKAYO SAKA’S RECENT PERFORMANCES?
"He shifts momentum." Read Mikel Arteta’s full analysis of Bukayo Saka’s importance ahead of the crucial West Ham showdown.
Mikel Arteta sees something special in Bukayo Saka’s presence on the pitch, an “aura” that he believes could drive Arsenal toward a Premier League title, just three games away from ending a 22-year wait.
During Saka’s recent absence with an Achilles injury, Arsenal managed only a single win in five matches. His return, however, seemed to breathe new life into the squad. Saka set up Viktor Gyokeres for the opener before scoring himself in a solid 3-0 victory over Fulham last weekend.
More crucially, Saka netted the decisive goal that helped Arsenal secure a 2-1 aggregate win over Atlético Madrid, booking their first Champions League final appearance since 2006.
Since making his debut for the Gunners seven years ago, the England international now carries the hopes of pushing Arsenal for vital points, starting with a key clash against relegation-threatened West Ham at the London Stadium, followed by matches against Burnley at home and Crystal Palace away on the season’s final day.
When asked about Saka’s importance, Arteta highlighted the growing role he plays not just within the team but also in how opponents see him. There’s a clear presence, a certain quality that sets him apart. According to Arteta, Saka can shift a game’s momentum at any time, and instilling that kind of respect or even fear in the opposition is invaluable.
Arteta also touched on managing Saka’s comeback after injury, emphasising the idea of channelling fresh energy and motivation into his performance rather than rushing him back too soon. He described it as a privilege to have a player like Saka, someone who embodies core values and principles, both on and off the pitch. Beyond the football, there’s a human connection that makes working with him rewarding. What Saka showed, especially in the recent Champions League semifinal, was nothing short of remarkable.
Alongside Saka, Declan Rice has also become a pivotal figure since his £100 million move from West Ham last year. Now 27, Rice will make his 59th appearance of the season when Arsenal faces his former club on Sunday. His impact has been significant, earning him runner-up in the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year award behind Bruno Fernandes.
Arteta praised Rice as a key leader and a major force for the team, underlining the powerful role he plays as Arsenal chase success this season.
WHY DID JURRIEN TIMBER’S "SIMPLE" INJURY TURN INTO A SEASON-ENDING MEDICAL MYSTERY?
After reaching the Champions League final, Arsenal face a fitness race for key stars ahead of their clash with West Ham.
Mikel Arteta has admitted that both Mikel Merino and Jurrien Timber are running out of time to get fit before the season ends – a tough setback for Arsenal right now.
Both have been out for weeks, dealing with foot and ankle injuries. The hope was always that they’d be back for the final stretch, giving Arsenal a boost when it matters most. This week, Merino at least made it back onto the training pitch, but Arteta has confirmed neither he nor Timber will be involved in Sunday’s big match against West Ham.
Arteta said he has no new injury problems elsewhere, but for Merino or Timber to play before the end of the season, their recoveries would have to be almost perfect. Timber’s situation in particular has turned out to be more complicated than they first thought.
“That’s probably been the hardest part for everyone. For me, for the player,” Arteta said. “We really didn’t think it would take this long, and he’s still not ready.”
Meanwhile, things are going well for Arsenal on the pitch. They’ve pulled five points clear at the top of the Premier League, and they just beat Atletico Madrid, booking a spot in their first Champions League final in two decades.
There’s still a twist, though. Manchester City play Brentford first this weekend, and they still have a game in hand. Even so, if Arsenal win their last three matches, the title is theirs.
Next up is West Ham, who are fighting to avoid relegation and could easily trip Arsenal up. Arteta knows his team can’t afford any slip-ups. “After the Atletico win, I was completely caught up in the emotion. You could feel what it meant to everyone fans and the staff. But straight after, my focus went to West Ham,” he said.
“We talked as a team about how we’ve earned the chance to be in the final, and we have time to get ready, but right now, all our focus and all the details need to go into West Ham.”
