Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said he was uncertain when injured centre-back William Saliba and winger Gabriel Martinelli will be available for selection again after suffering injury setbacks during the Premier League clash against Crystal Palace on Sunday. The manager, however, confirmed that the league leaders will be without both players when they take on Brighton on Wednesday in a Carabao Cup fourth-round clash.
France international Saliba, who finally signed a new contract with the Londoners, was replaced by Cristhian Mosquera at halftime in Sunday's 1-0 Premier League win over Crystal Palace at the Emirates. Meanwhile, Brazilian Martinelli was seen limping off the pitch after the final whistle.
Midfielder Declan Rice and defender Riccardo Calafiori also sustained knocks during the Palace game but have been deemed fit to feature against Brighton. Winger Bukayo Saka, who was withdrawn from the game due to illness, is also available for selection.
"He (Saliba) is out (v Brighton). We are assessing him but he won't be involved in this match," Arteta told reporters, without providing a timeline for the 24-year-old's return.
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Discussing Martinelli's condition, Arteta said: "It looks as though he's going to be out. We have to do some more tests to see the extent of the injury, but this game will be too early for him."
Arsenal, who top the Premier League standings with 22 points from nine matches, have the squad depth to cope with the injuries.
"We're going to try to manage the minutes and the loads as best we can because, as you say, we have a lot of games coming up with a very short recovery time, which is a bit unusual, but we're going to remain very competitive," the Spanish gaffer told reporters when asked about his plans to make changes to his side.