Carabao Cup: Arsenal Handed Double Injury Scare Ahead of Chelsea Semi-Final

Arsenal defender William Saliba remains a major doubt for Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup semi-final showdown against Chelsea, with manager Mikel Arteta casting uncertainty over the centre-back’s availability.

Arteta, who spoke to PulseNets on Tuesday, also learnt that winger Leandro Trossard may struggle to be declared fit in time for the high-stakes encounter at Stamford Bridge.

Both Saliba and Trossard were notably absent from Arsenal’s matchday squad during their FA Cup third-round victory over Portsmouth last Sunday, a development that further raised questions about their fitness status ahead of the Chelsea clash, PulseNets reported.

In a related update, Arteta confirmed that Riccardo Calafiori is still sidelined after picking up what the club has described as a mystery injury on December 27, just days before Arsenal faced Brighton at the Emirates Stadium.

Providing a cautious assessment of the Italian defender’s recovery, Arteta told PulseNets: “He’s making progress, but at this stage we honestly don’t know.”

The Arsenal boss added: “It could be a few weeks, but we can’t put an exact timeline on it yet.”

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With The Gooners already battling a congested fixture schedule, the fitness concerns surrounding Saliba, Trossard, and Calafiori could significantly influence Arteta’s tactical options as the Gunners chase a place in the Carabao Cup final.