Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Friday, Mikel Arteta first answered a question on Declan Rice and Riccardo Calafiori, confirming: “They are both available to be in the squad.”
Arteta also had updates on Takehiro Tomiyasu and Oleksandr Zinchenko, confirming that the former is out, but the latter could be involved on Saturday.
“No Tomiyasu,” Arteta said for Saturday’s game, before adding: “Zinchenko is probably available as well.”
If Zinchenko is indeed available, Arsenal would be very close to having their full list of left-back options available.
Kieran Tierney came off early in midweek, but Arteta claimed afterwards that it was just “cramp”. Myles Lewis-Skelly is fit, Calafiori is available, Zinchenko might be too.
Tomiyasu has played at left-back in the past, so he’s the one left-back option who definitely won’t be involved.
On the right, Arsenal aren’t doing quite so well. With Tomiyasu and Ben White out, Jurrien Timber is the team’s only natural right-back. But at least Timber should be able to focus on the position now, rather than shifting over to the left to fill a gap left by someone else.
As it stands, those two full-back injuries look like being Arsenal’s only absences this weekend.
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