Mikel Arteta has provided the latest injury updates ahead of Arsenal’s crucial Premier League clash against bottom-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday.
The Gunners saw their lead at the top of the table reduced to four points over second-placed Manchester City following their disappointing draw with Brentford last time out.
However, they will be without several key players for the must-win clash, including captain Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz.
Odegaard has endured multiple injury setbacks this season and is set to sit out the clash against Wolves. Although he featured in the second half of the draw at Brentford after returning from an injury, the midfielder picked up another issue during the clash.
“No, for Wolves, he’s not going to be fit. But for Sunday we’re very hopeful that he can be with us”, Arteta confirmed in Tuesday’s pre-match press conference in quotes revealed by the official Arsenal website.
Havertz, meanwhile, remains sidelined after sustaining a muscular injury that has ruled him out of Arsenal’s last two matches. The German international will not feature on Wednesday, but there is optimism he will be available for their next fixture against Tottenham Hotspur.
“Kai is the other one that, again, for the weekend is a possibility, so looking forward to having him in the squad.”
There is some positive news for Arteta as Riccardo Calafiori and Ben White have both shaken off recent injury concerns and are set to be available for selection.
Calafiori limped out of the warm-up ahead of the FA Cup fourth-round win over Wigan last Sunday, while White was forced off late on with a knock.
“He’s fine; he was training with us today, he’s feeling better, and hopefully he’s fit for tomorrow”, the Arsenal manager added.
“It was just a bit of fatigue. He did a lot in the game and by the end of it, he was feeling a bit of tightness in the hamstring, but he’s fine.”
Wednesday’s clash at the Molineux was originally set for March 21, but was rescheduled due to Arsenal’s EFL Cup final against Manchester City on March 22.
With the title race tightening, the Gunners know a win is essential to keep their title hopes alive.
