Arsenal have suffered a triple injury setback after Mikel Arteta confirmed that Declan Rice, Noni Madueke and Riccardo Calafiori are carrying fitness problems following their Carabao Cup defeat by Fleetwood Town.
The trio missed Tuesday’s fourth-round tie, in which Arsenal were eliminated on penalties by the lower-league side, adding to the frustration of a disappointing evening for the Gunners.
Their absence raises concerns ahead of Sunday’s Premier League trip to Liverpool at Anfield, with Arteta waiting to assess the players’ availability.
Calafiori had already been a doubt after experiencing difficulties towards the end of Arsenal’s 2-0 victory over Everton on Saturday. However, the absence of Rice and Madueke also emerged as a concern for the manager.
“Calafiori was out, Noni was out with an ankle [issue],” Arteta said.
And Declan finished with a problem [against Everton] the other day. That’s why I had to substitute him.”
Arteta faces selection concerns
Rice’s fitness will be particularly important as Arsenal prepare for a demanding fixture against Liverpool.
The midfielder was substituted during the Everton victory after experiencing a problem, prompting the decision to leave him out of the Fleetwood squad.
Madueke is also being assessed after suffering an ankle issue, while Calafiori’s condition remains a concern following his recent discomfort.
Arsenal were still able to field an experienced side against Fleetwood, with Jurrien Timber, Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres among those involved.
However, they failed to turn their dominance into a decisive victory, allowing Fleetwood to force a penalty shootout and secure a memorable cup upset.
Arteta reflects on painful cup exit
The Arsenal manager congratulated Fleetwood on their progression but admitted his side would be disappointed with the outcome.
“First of all, congratulations to Fleetwood for going through in the next round, in the manner they’ve done it, the atmosphere they have created, and, yeah, a really sad day for us,” he said.
Arteta defended his players’ commitment, insisting their attitude was not the issue despite the defeat.
“I cannot fault at all the attitude of the players. I haven’t seen anyone not doing what is required at this level,” he added.
However, the Spaniard acknowledged that Arsenal’s inability to convert their possession and chances into more goals had proved costly.
“And if you want the margins to be bigger than going to penalties, obviously, you need to capitalise on that,” he said.
“And we didn’t. And football is about that.”