Injury Crisis Puts Arteta's Squad to the Test in Crucial Week

Following two consecutive defeats, Arsenal faces a critical week in their pursuit of Champions League and Premier League glory. Mikel Arteta has called upon his team to demonstrate their resilience after losses in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup final. However, the manager's options are severely limited due to an ongoing injury crisis, with eleven players unavailable for international duty during the March break. This has raised concerns about the team's energy conservation for club football. Arteta's recent team selection and an open training session suggest that the club is dealing with significant issues. With crucial matches against Sporting in the Champions League quarter-final and Bournemouth in the Premier League, Arteta may need to rely on deeper squad options to find solutions. The manager has been criticized for his selection of Kepa Arrizabalaga in the Carabao Cup final, where the backup keeper made a significant error. Arteta doubled down on his support for Kepa by selecting him again against Southampton, where the team's defense struggled and conceded two goals. First-choice keeper David Raya is expected to return against Sporting and Bournemouth. Ben White made an error in Southampton's first goal and is likely to start again, while Jurrien Timber's ankle injury may keep him out of the first leg against Sporting. Arteta hopes Timber will return for the match against Bournemouth on Saturday. The manager is also dealing with concerns over Gabriel's availability due to a knee issue, but the player has resumed full training and is available for the Sporting match. William Saliba replaced Gabriel but has his own fitness concerns, and other options like Cristhian Mosquera and Riccardo Calafiori may be considered. Piero Hincapie's hamstring injury has created an opening at left-back, which may be filled by Calafiori or Myles Lewis-Skelly. The return of Declan Rice on Tuesday is a significant boost, and Arteta may need to take a risk on the player's fitness. Martin Zubimendi and Martin Odegaard are likely to feature again, while Eberechi Eze remains unavailable due to a calf injury. Bukayo Saka's absence will continue against Sporting, but Arteta hopes he will return for the Bournemouth match. Leandro Trossard's return from a hip issue is a welcome boost, and Noni Madueke may start in Saka's absence. Viktor Gyokeres is eager to face his former club Sporting, and Kai Havertz or Gabriel Jesus may also be considered for the No. 9 position.