Morning all.

It’s massive evening tonight, a Carabao Cup semi-final first leg in opposition to Newcastle. I do know this can be a competitors that ranks lowest when it comes to priorities for most individuals, however when you get to this stage – with a closing simply over the horizon – you need to take it critically. It’s why, health and availability allowing, I believe Mikel Arteta may go a bit of stronger for this one than Sunday’s FA Cup tie in opposition to Man Utd.

That stated, I don’t know that there’s a substantial amount of room for rotation anyway, given all of the health points we now have. The supervisor confirmed that Ethan Nwaneri could be lacking for a ‘few weeks‘ after selecting up an muscular downside in opposition to Brighton on Saturday, whereas the sickness within the camp that has affected gamers like Kai Havertz, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli remains to be a problem.

Even when Havertz is effectively sufficient to be within the squad, I don’t assume it’s lifelike to assume he’ll be again to 100% and sprightly sufficient to start out. There’s in all probability a query mark over Odegaard too who seemed like he ought to have been in mattress when he got here on in opposition to Brighton, however hopefully he’s effectively sufficient to guide the workforce out. Assuming there are not any different casualties, we might see a workforce like this: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, LB*, Partey*, Rice, Odegaard, Trossard, Jesus, Martinelli.

I’ve asterisked left-back as a result of after two video games in a row, I’m wondering if Arteta may be cautious with Riccardo Calafiori who is just not lengthy again from harm. He might begin Myles Lewis-Skelly or Oleksandr Zinchenko if he felt the necessity for change (I would favor the previous to the latter). I additionally assume there’s a query about how a lot you may ask of Partey after a number of minutes this season and 90 minutes at right-back on Saturday. There’s scope to provide him a relaxation if there’s a have to be cautious round his health.

Past that, there’s little or no to work with due to the harm disaster. Arteta stated that they had to herald a clutch of younger gamers to fill out the squad for coaching, and whereas privately he should really feel actual dismay on the absences, publicly he’s placing a courageous face on it. You may’t sit there in a press convention forward of an enormous sport and cry about accidents. He says:

It’s an excellent studying course of, not solely tactically but additionally preparation and coaching with only a few gamers. At the moment we had seven or eight gamers with us simply to fill the squad which isn’t regular however it’s a bizarre approach to be taught, however I’ll take it. I can not change it so let’s take the issues that we are able to get out of it to be higher.

As for tonight’s opposition, there’s some current historical past that might make this tasty. Arteta performed down the thought of a rivalry with Newcastle, however there’s usually an depth to those video games which may spark incidents. It’s extra usually the video games at St James’ Park which have extra of an edge, however after 70 years with no trophy, they are going to be completely fired up for this one, and hoping to reap the benefits of an Arsenal facet that’s at the moment pretty depleted and within the midst of a busy run of video games. We additionally know they’ve a really bodily model, and infrequently get away with challenges we actually wouldn’t, in order that’s one thing we now have to be aware of.

Hopefully the gang can play an element tonight. Get behind the workforce, make it clear to the referee when Newcastle push these boundaries as they virtually actually will. Arteta says:

We’re very excited to play the sport in entrance of our crowd. A semi-final, a chance to earn the best to be in a closing and that begins tomorrow with two legs. Clearly they’re going to be two lengthy video games in opposition to a really aggressive workforce, we all know that, however very excited and we want an enormous, massive ambiance in our stadium.

The very fact the semi-final is over two legs is absurd at this level, it needs to be only one sport, however hopefully we are able to get an excellent outcome tonight forward of the sport at their place subsequent month. Even when it doesn’t go to plan, you might have a chance to place issues proper, however with two massive cup ties this week, it’d be nice to win this one effectively earlier than we take into account the FA Cup on Sunday. Fingers crossed.

Proper, I’m gonna go away it there for now. We now have a preview podcast obtainable proper now on Patreon. Be part of us later for dwell weblog protection, plus you’ll get the match report, objective clips, response, participant scores and way more over on Arseblog Information.

Till then!