Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has cast doubt on goalkeeper David Raya’s availability for Saturday’s Premier League encounter against newly promoted Leicester City at the Emirates Stadium. The Spanish international sustained a thigh injury, leaving his participation in the crucial clash uncertain.
Raya, who joined Arsenal from Brentford on a permanent deal in July, missed the Gunners’ 5-1 League Cup victory over Bolton Wanderers last week due to the injury. His absence was particularly notable after he was seen limping following Arsenal’s hard-fought 2-2 draw against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
Arteta provided an update on Raya’s condition, stating, “We have to wait 24 hours to see if he is looking good or not that good. It’s not risk, it is about a player being fit or available or not. We will make the decision tomorrow.”
Should Raya be ruled out, Brazilian goalkeeper Neto, who joined Arsenal on loan from Bournemouth in August, could potentially step in.
Meanwhile, Arteta confirmed that defender Jurrien Timber will be available for selection against Leicester. He also expressed hope for the return of fellow defender Ben White, but acknowledged that new midfielder Mikel Merino remains sidelined with a shoulder injury.
“Tomorrow is too soon for (Merino), next week we will see. He had partial training today, he has been working so hard and looked really good. It is just about the healing of that bone and how mature that is to expose us to contact basically,” Arteta explained.
Despite the absence of Norwegian midfielder Martin Odegaard due to an ankle injury, Arsenal are currently sitting in fourth place in the Premier League with 11 points from five matches. Arteta expressed his satisfaction with the team’s resilience and their ability to overcome adversity.
“If you put them in that scenario before the start of the season, with the calendar we have, the fixtures we had and the three away games and how we got out of that, I would be very, very pleased I think,” Arteta said.
“It’s not only Martin, he is one of the players who has more impact on the team in many ways, but there were many others as well. The team has coped extremely well because we have an exceptional group, a lot of players are taking a different role in the leadership, in their role in the team and they embrace that challenge and I’m really happy for that.”
With the team’s performance exceeding expectations despite facing a challenging start to the season, Arteta’s positive outlook highlights the resilience and depth within the Arsenal squad, despite the injury concerns surrounding key players.
