Zinchenko options as Arteta Excludes Four Arsenal Players Against Brighton
The injury of Oleksandr Zinchenko may affect a young Arsenal player in their upcoming Premier League match against Brighton & Hove Albion.
Earlier reports had suggested that the left-back’s season had ended due to a calf injury, but Mikel Arteta denied these claims during a pre-match press conference on Friday, stating that Zinchenko might still be available for Sunday’s game.
In fact, the Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta only confirmed that William Saliba would not be available for the game against Brighton & Hove Albion. “We’re trying to get players back before that day. With William it’s for sure he’s not gonna be fit for this game and we’re doubting him for the next game.”
Since William Saliba is not available for the match, he is one of four senior Arsenal players who will miss the game against Brighton & Hove Albion as per Premier League regulations which require a 20-man matchday squad. The other absentees are Takehiro Tomiyasu, Mohamed Elneny, and Karl Hein, who is most likely the third-choice goalkeeper.
However, if Oleksandr Zinchenko’s injury situation improves and he is deemed fit for the game, he could be included in the matchday squad. As Zinchenko has been a regular first-choice left-back for Arsenal in league games since he joined from Manchester City last summer and was seen in training on Saturday, it is highly likely that he will be included in the squad if he is fit. In that case, the number of first-team players missing out on the match could increase to five.
It is uncertain whether Oleksandr Zinchenko will retain his place in the starting line-up for the game against Brighton & Hove Albion, as Kieran Tierney is waiting in the wings and impressed as a substitute for Zinchenko in the Gunners’ previous game against Newcastle United.
If Zinchenko is ruled out, Arsenal would be left with only one senior defender, Rob Holding, on the bench for the Brighton game. This assumes that Mikel Arteta chooses to stick with the same back four that played in the previous game, as William Saliba and Takehiro Tomiyasu are both unavailable due to injuries.
f Zinchenko is unable to play, there is a possibility that Reuell Walters, a highly-rated Arsenal youngster, could be recalled to the first-team squad. Although Walters has yet to make an appearance for the Gunners, he was called up as cover for Saliba in several games earlier in the season and replaced Zinchenko in a game against West Ham United.
Capable of playing at full-back on either flank, Walters has not been included in a first-team matchday squad since the Manchester City game last month. However, he could be on standby for a return to the squad in the upcoming Brighton game.
Alternatively, Lino Sousa, a natural left-back and another promising academy product who has impressed at U21 level this season, could also earn a surprise call-up. Nonetheless, Sousa has not been included in a Premier League matchday squad since the Brentford game in September, where Ethan Nwaneri made history.
Zinchenko options as Arteta Excludes Four Arsenal Players Against Brighton
