Four Arsenal stars absent from training snaps before Man City game including £60m player
Arsenal take on Manchester City in Sunday’s much-awaited Carabao Cup final at Wembley Stadium.
Ahead of the game, manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Martin Odegaard and Jurrien Timber will be assessed. The duo were nowhere to be seen in Friday’s training pictures.
Alongside them, Mikel Merino was likewise absent. The Spanish ace underwent foot surgery in early February and could be ruled out for the remainder of the ongoing season.
Midfielder Eberechi Eze was another absentee in the training snaps. He was substituted with a knock to his ankle during the Champions League clash against Bayer Leverkusen this week.
Shortly after the match, Eze said that he is ‘alright‘ and should be ‘OK’ for the Carabao Cup final, and it remains to be seen whether he makes the matchday squad on Sunday.
Arsenal could be playing mind games
Eze has had a relatively good debut season with Arsenal. The 27-year-old has managed 15 goal contributions and recently scored a stunner from the edge of the box against Leverkusen.
The Englishman struggled for consistency earlier this term, playing second fiddle to Martin Odegaard for the number 10 role. The latter’s injury concerns have proved a blessing in disguise for Eze.
The midfielder, signed for an initial £60 million from Crystal Palace, has shown glimpses of his Crystal Palace form in recent matches and should be brimming with confidence ahead of Sunday’s final.
He did pick up a knock after the hour mark on Tuesday night, but did not seem overly concerned when he brought off. Arsenal could be playing mind games by excluding him from training pictures.
If not, Eze may have been provided extra time to recover. He should be fully involved in today’s training session as the Gunners prepare for their first major final since winning the FA Cup in 2020.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
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