The Gunners squeezed past Rob Edwards' side in the reverse fixture thanks to two late goals so will be aware of the threat posed by Luton, especially after they dealt Tottenham a great scare on Saturday. There is little time for worrying though with just two full days to prepare for the game.
It is the first of what could be five consecutive weeks in a row with games on either Tuesday or Wednesday following Premier League action, depending on how far Arsenal progress in Europe. It is sure to pay a heavy toll on the squad and will once more test Arteta's ability to manage his team.
The head coach was criticised for failing to rotate 12 months ago, something that proved costly with high-profile injuries hampering his team during the run-in. This time round there are more options available but keeping the core fit will also be key.
There were scares that a repeat of last term could be on the cards when Bukayo Saka had to be helped off the field in the second half off the stalemate at the Etihad Stadium. Saka was able to walk off the pitch, replaced by Gabriel Martinelli following his own fitness problems in recent weeks.
Arteta down played the incident after the match. "As you know he’s been out for a few weeks now with a little problem," he said. "He was feeling that fatigue. Right now he hasn’t trained. He trained just one day before the match. He made a big contribution, but 90 minutes was a lot today."
This raises hopes that the 22-year-old will be ready to go again from the start on Wednesday, especially after putting in such a large defensive shift to help put Benjamin White. If there are worries over Saka, those for Martinelli were dropped after he came onto the pitch.
Having missed the past two club games as well as both matches for Brazil during the international break, there were questions over his sharpness and condition heading to Manchester. Martinelli was left on the bench to start as he recovers from a cut on his foot picked up against Sheffield United last month but looked lively after being called on.
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Saka, Martinelli, Timber - Arsenal injury news and return dates after Man City draw
The pair take up most of the room for concern at the club with Oleksandr Zinchenko once more deemed fit to be on the bench. Gabriel Jesus started the game following troubles of his own in 2024 with Takehiro Tomiyasu on as a sub for his first club appearance of the year as well.
Jurrien Timber is the only player from the squad likely to miss the game unless he is deemed ready for a long-awaited return. "He's in a really good place and now we have to manage the last bit of a difficult and complicated injury," Arteta said of the Dutchman at the start of March.
He has been training with the team for a while now but will be integrated slowly into the first team setup after such a lengthy lay-off. Arteta will have more on the state of his squad on Tuesday when he faces the press ahead of the game.
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Mikel Arteta celebrates Arsenal's recent Premier League victory over Manchester City
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