Arsenal will be hoping to secure their place in the Carabao Cup final when they take on Chelsea in the second leg of their semi-final tie on Tuesday evening at the Emirates Stadium

 

 

Arsenal and Chelsea face the prospect of having a combined 11 players unavailable for Tuesday evening’s Carabao Cup clash at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners approach the fixture in strong form, having secured a 3-2 victory over the Blues at Stamford Bridge during the first leg of the semi-finals last month.

 

In that match, Ben White, Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi cancelled out an Alejandro Garnacho brace to gain a slender advantage heading into the crucial second game While both sides will be hoping to book their place in March’s final when Tuesday evening’s clash concludes, Arsenal and Chelsea may be compelled to compete in north London without a complete squad at their disposal.

 

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Here, Mirror Football looks at all of the injury updates and potential absentees from Arsenal’s Carabao Cup tie with Chelsea…

 

1 of 11

 

Bukayo Saka

 

Speaking about Bukayo Saka’s hip injury during his pre-match press conference on Monday, Mikel Arteta said: “It doesn’t look like something too serious. Whether he’s going to be available for tomorrow or the weekend, we’ll see.”

 

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PA)

 

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Mikel Merino

 

Mikel Merino will be out for an “extended period” as he requires surgery for a foot injury. He will miss Tuesday’s match as a result.

 

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Getty Images)

 

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Max Dowman

 

Speaking about Max Dowman’s ankle injury, meanwhile, Arteta explained: “He’s growing, and we need to be very careful and a little more protective. He has a different schedule as well because he needs to go to school…But I think he’s quite close. He’s on the pitch now, he’s doing well.”

 

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Estevao

 

Estevao has been granted compassionate leave by Liam Rosenior, and there is “no pressure” on him to return until he is ready. He looks likely to miss the match on Tuesday evening.

 

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Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

 

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Jamie Gittens

 

Jamie Gittens limped off the pitch during Chelsea’s 3-2 comeback win over West Ham at the weekend, with Rosenior since confirming that he “felt his hamstring.”

 

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Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

 

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Tosin Adarabioyo

 

While Tosin Adarabioyo has made progress on a hamstring injury, the game against Arsenal could come a touch too soon for the defender.

 

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CameraSport via Getty Images)

 

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Filip Jorgensen

 

Filip Jorgensen is closing in on a return for his club after coming off at half-time against Pafos in the Champions League in January. Rosenior said he should be fit for Tuesday’s match, or potentially Saturday’s trip to Wolves.

 

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Offside via Getty Images)

 

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Dario Essugo

 

Dario Essugo underwent surgery on his thigh in September, but has since suffered a setback in his recovery after slipping in training.

 

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Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

 

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Romeo Lavia

 

Romeo Lavia has been out with a thigh injury since November. While he is close to full fitness, it could be another couple of weeks before Chelsea fans see his return.

 

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Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

 

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Levi Colwill

 

Levi Colwill looks to be out until near the end of the season as a result of sustaining an ACL injury in pre-season preparations.

 

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Mykhailo Mudryk

 

Mykhailo Mudryk remains provisionally suspended by the FA as a result of a failed drug test. As a result, he will be unable to take on Arsenal.

 

Alright, let’s break it down properly 👇

Here are three realistic ways Arsenal could line up vs Manchester United, depending on Arteta’s approach — control, balance, or all-out attack.

🟥 Option 1: Arteta’s Trusted 4-3-3 (Control & Structure)

Best for controlling midfield and dominating possession

Formation: 4-3-3

Likely choice in a big away game

XI:

GK: David Raya

RB: Ben White

CB: William Saliba

CB: Gabriel Magalhães

LB: Jurrien Timber

CM: Declan Rice

CM: Martin Ødegaard (c)

CM: Mikel Zubimendi

RW: Bukayo Saka

ST: Viktor Gyökeres

LW: Leandro Trossard

🔍 Why this works

Rice + Zubimendi protect against United’s counterattacks

Ødegaard controls tempo between the lines

Timber inverts to overload midfield

🟥 Option 2: 4-2-3-1 (More Defensive Solidity)

Best if Arteta wants extra protection vs Bruno & transitions

Formation: 4-2-3-1

XI:

GK: David Raya

RB: Ben White

CB: Saliba

CB: Gabriel

LB: Timber

DM: Declan Rice

DM: Mikel Zubimendi

AM: Martin Ødegaard

RW: Bukayo Saka

LW: Gabriel Martinelli

ST: Viktor Gyökeres

🔍 Why this works

Double pivot shields the defence

Ødegaard operates higher to press Casemiro/Mainoo

Martinelli offers pace behind United’s full-backs

🟥 Option 3: Ultra-Attacking 4-3-3 (High Press & Chaos)

Best if Arsenal want to dominate Old Trafford

Formation: 4-3-3 (high line)

XI:

GK: David Raya

RB: Ben White

CB: Saliba

CB: Gabriel

LB: Timber

CM: Declan Rice

CM: Ødegaard

CM: Kai Havertz

RW: Saka

ST: Gyökeres

LW: Martinelli

🔥 Why this works

Havertz presses high and crashes the box

Martinelli & Saka stretch United’s back line

Relentless press can force United into mistakes

⚖️ Most Likely Pick?

👉 Option 1 (4-3-3 with Rice–Zubimendi–Ødegaard)

It gives Arsenal control, balance, and flexibility — exactly what Arteta prefers in high-profile games.

If you want, I can also:

Predict who starts on the bench

Compare Arsenal’s XI vs United’s confirmed lineup

Give a score prediction based on each lineup

Just say the word 🔴⚪

Manchester United (likely XI)

Formation: 4-2-3-1 / 4-3-3

GK: Senne Lammens

DEF: Diogo Dalot, Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martínez, Luke Shaw

MID: Casemiro, Kobbie Mainoo

Attacking MID/Wings: Amad Diallo, Bruno Fernandes, Patrick Dorgu

STR: Bryan Mbeumo

✔️ Squad confirmed included: Lammens, Bayindir; Dalot, Yoro, Heaven, Maguire, Martínez, Shaw, Dorgu, Mazraoui, Malacia; Ugarte, Mainoo, Casemiro, Fernandes, Mount; Amad, Cunha, Mbeumo, Sesko — with Mazraoui back available after AFCON but rotation likely. �

UtdDistrict

Notes:

• Matthijs de Ligt is still out injured; Joshua Zirkzee is unavailable. �

• Carrick appears to be sticking largely with the XI that beat Man City last weekend. �

The Standard

The Standard

Arsenal (expected XI)

Arsenal’s lineup isn’t officially confirmed yet, but multiple sources list a predicted starting XI for today’s game: �

The Standard

GK: David Raya

DEF: Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel, Jurrien Timber

MID: Martin Ødegaard, Mikel Zubimendi, Declan Rice

ATT: Bukayo Saka, Viktor Gyökeres, Leandro Trossard

Notes:

• Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapié have returned to training and could be involved. �

The Standard

If you want the confirmed starting XI once it’s officially announced close to kickoff (with exact names and formation), let me know and I can update when that information is published live.

 

🔎 Head-to-Head Context

 

Arsenal have dominated this fixture recently — winning their last eight league meetings and keeping multiple clean sheets.

 

Wolves are struggling this season, with a long run of losses and one of the weakest goalscoring records in the division.

 

 

 

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🔮 Predicted Line-Ups (Probable Starting XIs)

 

📍 Arsenal – Likely 4-3-3

 

Formation: 4-3-3

 

GK: David Raya

 

Defence: Ben White, Piero Hincapié, Jurrien Timber, Myles Lewis-Skelly

 

Midfield: Martin Ødegaard, Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi

 

Attack: Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, Viktor Gyokeres

 

 

➡️ Notes: Timber is expected to return in defence; Riccardo Calafiori is suspended, and players like William Saliba and Trossard remain doubtful/injured.

 

Tactical Outlook: Arsenal will likely set up with control in midfield (Rice, Ødegaard) and pace in wide areas (Saka, Eze), looking to exploit Wolves on transitions.

 

 

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⚽ Wolves – Likely 3-5-2 / 3-4-2-1

 

Formation: 3-5-2 (or slight variation)

 

GK: Sam Johnstone

 

Defence: Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu, Toti Gomes, David Møller Wolfe

 

Midfield: Ki-Jana Hoever, André, Ladislav Krejčí, David Moeller Wolfe, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde

 

Attack: John Arias, Jørgen Strand Larsen

 

 

➡️ Notes: Wolves could be without some players through injury or suspension; attacking threat is likely to come from Larsen and Arias with support from wing-midfield.

 

Tactical Outlook: Wolves may look to stay compact and hit on the break, but recent form suggests limited offensive output.

 

 

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🧠 Key Tactics & Match-Up Themes

 

🔥 Arsenal

 

Expected to control possession and build through midfield.

 

Creative influence from Ødegaard and Eze to unlock the Wolves defence.

 

Saka and Gyokeres/attackers aim to exploit spaces behind a deep Wolves backline.

 

 

❗ Wolves

 

Likely to sit deeper and rely on quick transitions.

 

Defensive solidity will be key, but scoring opportunities are expected to be limited against Arsenal’s strong defensive record.

 

 

 

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📊 Summary Prediction

 

Most previews favor an Arsenal home win, given the recent head-to-head dominance and Wolves’ ongoing struggles. Arsenal’s defensive stability and attacking variety make them strong favorites.

 

 

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If you’d like, I can also provide a minute-by-minute tactical breakdown or best XI with bench/subs based on likely availability!