Early Arsenal team news ahead of Newcastle United clash | OneFootball

Mikel Arteta has provided updates on Ethan Nwaneri, Kai Havertz, and Raheem Sterling ahead of Arsenal’s League Cup semi-final first leg against Newcastle United on Tuesday night.

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Arsenal will welcome at least one player back when they face Newcastle United on Tuesday, as Jurrien Timber is available again after his suspension at the weekend.

Given Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu’s continued injury absences, the Gunners don’t have many alternatives to Timber right now, so it will be a boost to have him back.

Bukayo Saka also remains out for the time being, with little expectation he’ll be back before March at the earliest.

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The timeline for Arsenal’s other absentees is less clear, and Mikel Arteta gave an update in his press conference on Monday.

Kai Havertz has missed the last couple of games with an illness, and Arteta cautiously suggested the forward could return against Newcastle.

“I hope so but I don’t want to say yes because last time I said I thought he was going to be fit and he wasn’t fit,” Arteta explained.

Raheem Sterling appears to remain unavailable at the moment, but Arteta said he’ll be back “hopefully very soon”.

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Then there’s Ethan Nwaneri, who had been touted as a temporary Saka replacement and who scored Arsenal’s opening goal against Brighton at the weekend. The midfielder was withdrawn at half-time of that match, and Arteta has now confirmed a “muscular injury”.

“Unfortunately he’s picked up an injury and is going to be out for a few weeks,” Arteta began.

“[Nwaneri] said: ‘I’m feeling something but I don’t really know, what is it?’ He has earned the right to step up and play for us and now he starts to have some games, some big games as well, and impact those games which he’s done in different positions as well, so I’m gutted for him because it’s going to stop that a little bit.

“But it’s another step in that development phase that he’s in, but I’m really happy with the way he is going.”