Arsenal struck by squad crisis as FIVE key names miss training with Man City showdown days away

Arsenal struck by squad crisis as FIVE key names miss training with Man City showdown days away

• Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka are among five names to miss training.
• After defeat to Bournemouth, the Gunners’ lead over Man City has been slashed to six points.
• Before facing City, Arsenal must navigate a Champions League quarter-final second leg against Sporting CP.

Mikel Arteta is facing a crisis within his squad as five key names were absent from training this week as Arsenal face back-to-back mammoth fixtures.

The Gunners’ hopes of a historic Premier League and Champions League double have been rocked by a sudden influx of injury and fitness concerns at arguably the worst possible moment.

Following a demoralising 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth last Saturday – which saw goals from Junior Kroupi and Alex Scott sink the league leaders – Arteta’s men travel to Manchester on Sunday knowing their safety net at the top of the table could evaporate.

Manchester City, fuelled by a relentless 3-0 victory at Chelsea, have cut the gap to just six points and will seize the summit if they triumph in their upcoming fixtures against Arsenal and Burnley.

The pressure on the North London side has reached a boiling point, and the sight of the club’s most influential players absent from training on Tuesday has sent major concerns in quarters of a Gunners persuasion.

Arsenal hit by five-man absentee list in training

In a week when Arsenal face a decisive Champions League quarter-final second-leg at home to Sporting and a visit to title rivals Manchester City in the Premier League, Mikel Arteta is facing a crisis within his squad.

Tuesday’s final training session ahead of the clash with the Portuguese giants brought cause for concern with all of Riccardo Calafiori, Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber all not present.

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What is the state of play regarding all five names?

The absence of Rice is perhaps the biggest development, given the England international played the full 90 minutes during the weekend’s loss to Andoni Iraola’s side at the Emirates Stadium.

Bukayo Saka continues to be challenged by a muscle issue that has kept him out of the last three matches, while captain Martin Odegaard remains sidelined with a knee concern picked up during the first leg against Sporting in Lisbon.

With Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori also missing from the group session, Arteta’s defensive and midfield options are looking incredibly thin in the lead up to a European clash where they hold a slender 1-0 lead over Sporting.

But the looming trip to the Etihad Stadium on April 19 remains the ultimate test, and should all five key figures fail to recover sufficiently in time, City will be heavy favourites to dismantle an Arsenal side that appears to be floundering at the business end of the 2025/26 campaign.