ARSENAL INJURY UPDATE
NO ONE EXPECTED ARTETA TO SAY THIS AFTER LEEDS 0-4! ARTETA DROPS BOMBSHELL ON SAKA… AND MADUEKE WAS…
Mikel Arteta delivers Bukayo Saka injury update as Arsenal boss praises ‘mentality’ after title chasers thrashed Leeds to end winless run
Mikel Arteta said his Arsenal team were determined to prove the doubters wrong as they hammered Leeds to get their Premier League title bid back on track.
The Gunners had to contend with Bukayo Saka limping off in the warm-up with a hip problem — yet his replacement Noni Madueke starred to seal the three points and end their three-game winless run in the league.
Madueke assisted Martin Zubimendi’s opener, before seeing his curling corner tipped into the net by goalkeeper Karl Darlow. Viktor Gyokeres and substitute Gabriel Jesus added further goals to round off the victory.
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The north London club are now seven points clear at the top having played an extra game, with Manchester City and Aston Villa in action tomorrow.
Arteta said: ‘Well, very, very happy obviously. A very impressive performance, a very impressive result. And in the context that we’ve done it in.
‘After three results that didn’t go our way in the league, we really wanted to show how much we wanted it and I think we’ve certainly done that today.
Mikel Arteta praised his Arsenal’s side’s mentality after thrashing Leeds to end their winless runMikel Arteta explained Bukayo Saka had a ‘niggle’ in the warm-up leading to him missing the match
‘The mentality is good. To play with that level of enjoyment about where we are, and then with the conviction to believe in what we do and how good we are, and that we can beat any opponent. We certainly did that.
‘But then you have to show the quality as well in this league to do it, and it came out in great ways from different players as well.’
On Saka’s injury, he added: ‘So in the warm-up he had a little niggle, he wasn’t comfortable to start the game.’
Daniel Farke was left full of praise for his opponents.
Leeds were on a run of just one defeat in 10 league matches, with just two defeats at Elland Road all season before the Gunners’ demolition job.
Farke said: ‘We have to accept the better team won this game. We faced today the best side in Europe.
‘You need a perfect day in order to give yourself a chance. We did not have our very best day. We have to accept their quality. Whatever we did, they always had an answer.’
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ARSENAL INJURY UPDATE
Mikel Merino will undergo surgery on a stress fracture on his foot today. Although Arsenal has not put a timeline on his recovery, he is expected to be out until the end of the season, but the player hopes to be fit for the World Cup
Mikel Merino provides Arsenal return update after surgery on foot injury: ‘Closer to being back’
Midfielder faces a fight to play again this season
Update: Mikel Merino
Your matchday briefing on Arsenal, featuring team news and expert analysis from Matt
Mikel Merino has undergone surgery on a foot injury as the Arsenal midfielder begins a lengthy recovery process.
The midfielder picked up the issue late in the defeat to Manchester United last month, when he came off the bench and scored.
Merino was sent to see specialists to determine the severity of the problem, and it was discovered that surgery would be required on a bone injury in his right foot.
That procedure took place on Monday, with Merino taking to Instagram to share a picture from his hospital bed.
Merino posted: “Surgery done! Already closer to be back.
“Thank you so much to everyone for your messages and love. It really gives me even more energy to face the challenge. Vamos!”
Declan Rice said in reply: “With you brother.”
Martin Zubimendi, meanwhile, paid tribute to his Spanish team-mate by copying his celebration and pointing to the stands when scoring against Sunderland on Saturday.
Merino’s father recently confirmed that his son had suffered a stress fracture to his foot, an injury that Mikel Arteta has described as “very rare”.
Merino now faces a race to return to action before the end of the season and keep his World Cup hopes alive.
Arsenal hope that Merino will be fit to feature in May in the final weeks of the campaign, in what could be the decisive period for the club’s trophy hopes domestically and in Europe.
Asked if he expected Merino to play again this season, Arteta said: “Well, we hope so.
“I don’t know. Obviously, he needs to go through a procedure, which is never always positive. He’s a big player for us.
“An athlete that has such versatility and capacity to compete in various positions. Yeah, that’s a big blow.
“Let’s see. It’s a very rare injury, so we have to wait and see once we have the surgery. How that reacts daily.”
ARSENAL INJURY UPDATE
Gallery The best training snaps ahead of Sunderland clas Cristhian Mosquera tries to tackle Martin Zubimendi in training
We face Sunderland at Emirates Stadium on Saturday, and you can see what we’ve been up to at the Sobha Realty Training Centre ahead of the contest with our latest training gallery.
We’ll be looking to continue our positive form having won our last three matches across all competitions, including a late 1-0 win over Chelsea in the Carabao Cup semi-finals last time out.
Our most recent Premier League game saw us thrash Leeds United 4-0, a result which extended our lead at the top of the table to six points.
To see how we’ve been preparing for our clash with the Black Cats, flick through our training gallery below, captured by club photographer Stuart MacFarlane:
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Copyright 2026 The Arsenal Football Club Limited. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source.
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ARSENAL INJURY UPDATE
Here’s the latest confirmed info on the Arsenal vs Manchester City Carabao Cup final (2025-26 EFL/Carabao Cup):
ardiola seeks rule change to make Guehi eligible for League Cup final
Manchester City beat Newcastle to set up League Cup final against Arsenal
Today
Today
📅 Date & Kick-off
The Carabao Cup final between Arsenal and Manchester City is scheduled for Sunday, 22 March 2026 at Wembley Stadium in London, England. �
Wikipedia
Kick-off is expected to be around 4:30 pm GMT (16:30 GMT), although final broadcaster confirmation may adjust this slightly. �
The Standard
🏆 Match Context
Arsenal reached the final by beating Chelsea 4-2 on aggregate in their semi-final. �
Reuters
Manchester City progressed with a 5-1 aggregate win over Newcastle United. �
Sky Sports
📺 How to Watch
In the UK the final is expected to be shown on Sky Sports and free-to-air via ITV/ITVX, with pre-match coverage typically starting about an hour before kick-off. �
The Standard
📰 Team News & Injury Updates
Arsenal
Mikel Merino is a major doubt for the final as he’s expected to be out for an extended period undergoing foot surgery. �
Yahoo Sports UK
Decisions like goalkeeper choice (Kepa Arrizabalaga vs David Raya) may hinge on form later in the season. �
Yahoo Sports UK
Arsenal’s squad situation could evolve through Premier League and European fixtures between now and March.
Manchester City
Key players such as Josko Gvardiol are likely to miss the final due to injury. �
Yahoo Sports UK
Some others – including John Stones, Mateo Kovacic and Savinho – are expected to be available. �
Yahoo Sports UK
Marc Guehi is currently ineligible to play in the final under competition rules after appearing for another club earlier in the tournament; Pep Guardiola has publicly questioned this rule. �
Reuters
⚠️ Note: Team news and injury status will be clearer closer to matchday as clubs confirm their squads, fitness, and starting line-ups.
📌 Summary
Final: Arsenal vs Manchester City (Carabao Cup final)
Date: Sunday 22 March 2026
Kick-off: ~4:30 pm GMT (subject to broadcaster confirmation)
Venue: Wembley Stadium, London �
The Standard +1
If you want the local kickoff time for your time zone (Abuja/Nigeria) or predictions for the starting line-ups once confirmed, just let me know!
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