Mikel Arteta confirms fresh TRIPLE Arsenal injury nightmare as Declan Rice and two other stars face race to be fit for Liverpool clash after Fleetwood defeat
Arsenal have been hit by a devastating triple injury blow just as they prepare for a high-stakes Premier League showdown with Liverpool. Mikel Arteta has confirmed that several key first-team stars missed the club’s midweek humiliating defeat to Fleetwood Town and are now facing a race against time to be fit for the weekend.
Missing trio compounds Carabao Cup misery
Arsenal suffered a humiliating penalty shootout elimination against League Two side Fleetwood Town on Tuesday night. Despite naming a strong starting line-up to navigate around his squad’s growing fitness issues, Arteta was unable to call upon Declan Rice, Riccardo Calafiori, or Noni Madueke for the trip to Lancashire.
Their sudden absence compounds a mounting availability crisis in north London. Arsenal are already navigating long-term injuries to key figures William Saliba, Bukayo Saka, and Christos Tzolis. Furthermore, Max Dowman will now serve a domestic suspension this weekend after receiving an ill-disciplined red card during the shock cup defeat, leaving the squad stretched incredibly thin.
Arteta explains major fitness doubts
Speaking after the unexpected early cup exit, the Gunners boss detailed the specific reasons behind his missing first-team regulars. He noted that Rice’s issue originated during Saturday’s 2-0 league victory over Everton, which ultimately forced an early substitution.
“Calafiori was out, Noni was out with an ankle, and Declan was feeling a problem the other day (against Everton), which is why I had to substitute him,” Arteta explained.
Despite the frustrating defeat, the Spaniard refused to heavily criticise his depleted squad. Instead, he praised the fourth-tier hosts for pulling off a historic upset and commended the hostile environment they built on the night.
“First of all, congratulations to Fleetwood,” the Gunners boss said. “In the manner they did it, the atmosphere they created. I have nothing to fault the players for their attitude and intensity throughout the game, with 11 and with 10, but when you are playing in that superior way, you have to give nothing to the opponent.”
A ‘very sad day’ for wasteful Gunners
Arsenal’s shock defeat means their 34-year wait to lift the League Cup will stretch on for at least another season. Despite controlling the fixture, they crashed out before reaching the quarter-final stage, a result Arteta frankly described as a “very sad day” for the club as he highlighted their failure to convert dominance into goals.
“When we create the volume of shots and chances we did, you have to score three, four or five,” he said. “You capitalise on it. If you don’t, there are no margins, and that’s the reality. Then you have to wait and get through the round on penalties, and we didn’t do that.
“The probability was low with the way the game was panning out, but it’s football and still with low probability, there is always a chance you could be out of the cup.”
Crucial Anfield trip awaits
The Gunners’ immediate priority is patching up their squad ahead of Sunday’s massive trip to Anfield. There is already a glimmer of optimism regarding Rice, as the England midfielder was spotted training with his team-mates on Monday despite his weekend knock.
Sitting level on points with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table, Arsenal are desperate to maintain their winning league run against Liverpool. Following that heavyweight clash, Arteta’s side face a Champions League away day against Slavia Prague, before returning to the Emirates to host Hull City just ahead of the November international break.
