Arsenal injuries force Arteta's key team picks
SkimNews Take
Cup exits have collapsed Arsenal's schedule into just two competitions, stripping Arteta of the rotation buffer a thin squad normally relies on to absorb injuries.
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- Arsenal were eliminated from both domestic cups in consecutive games — the Carabao Cup final loss to Man City and an FA Cup defeat at Southampton — leaving the Champions League and Premier League as their only remaining paths to silverware.
- Mikel Arteta faces a threadbare squad after eleven Arsenal players withdrew from international duty in March, with the manager confirming that Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka were at "70 per cent" and "on the edge" when they pulled out of England duty.
- David Raya is expected to reclaim the goalkeeper shirt after being an unused substitute in both cup defeats; back-up Kepa Arrizabalaga made an error leading to Man City's opener in the Carabao Cup final and was retained for the Southampton tie.
- Gabriel limped off at Southampton with a left knee problem but returned to full training on Monday and is available for Tuesday's first leg, while Jurrien Timber (ankle) and Piero Hincapie (hamstring, injured on Ecuador duty) remain sidelined — Timber hopeful for the Bournemouth game.
- Declan Rice is back on the grass and confirmed available for the trip to Portugal, while captain Martin Odegaard made his first start since January and Martin Zubimendi came off the bench at Southampton after a knee issue with Spain.
- Viktor Gyokeres, who scored from the bench at St Mary's, is expected to start against his former club Sporting in the Champions League, with Eberechi Eze (calf) and Mikel Merino (post-foot surgery) still out.
- Bukayo Saka will miss the Sporting first leg with Arteta hopeful the winger returns for the Bournemouth Premier League fixture, with Leandro Trossard back from a hip issue and Noni Madueke available after avoiding a serious knee injury on England duty.
Why it matters: Arsenal's season now hinges on the Champions League and Premier League after consecutive cup exits, and Arteta must manage a squad that has just been stripped by a March international break. With Rice, Gabriel, and likely Raya returning, the manager's biggest calls — including unleashing Gyokeres against his former club — could determine whether this thin group sustains a title push in a defining week.
