Ethan Nwaneri: Arsenal midfielder faces spell on the sidelines with muscular injury picked up in draw at Brighton

Mikel Arteta has confirmed Arsenal midfielder Ethan Nwaneri will be sidelined for a few weeks with a muscular injury.

Nwaneri opened the scoring in Saturday's 1-1 draw away at Brighton as he made a second successive Premier League start, but was substituted at half-time after suffering the injury.

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The 17-year-old's absence leaves Arsenal short on the right wing, where they are already missing Bukayo Saka and Raheem Sterling.

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Speaking at his news conference ahead of Tuesday's Carabao Cup semi-final first leg tie against Newcastle, live on Sky Sports, Arteta said: "Unfortunately he has picked up an injury and he is going to be out for a couple of weeks.

"It's a muscular injury."

Arsenal have also been without Kai Havertz for their last two league fixtures due to the German forward struggling with illness.

Arsenal
Newcastle United

Tuesday 7th January 7:00pm

Arteta was more upbeat, however, when asked if he could welcome Havertz back to the fold for the visit of Newcastle on Tuesday night.

"I hope so," Arteta said.

"But I don't want to say yes because the last time I said I thought he was going to be fit then he wasn't fit."

'Isak's time to show Arsenal what they're lacking'

There are many incentives and narratives going into Tuesday's Carabao Cup semi-final first leg between Arsenal and Newcastle, live on Sky Sports, but all roads seem to lead to Alexander Isak, writes Sky Sports News' Sam Blitz.

The Newcastle striker will have a lot of eyes on him. The cries for Arsenal to sign a new forward are getting louder and the 25-year-old seems like the perfect fit.

"If I was Arsenal and had the money, I'd go out and buy Isak," former Gunners forward and Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson said last week. "I'd break the bank for him. He's the best of the best and takes Arsenal to another level."

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Isak to Arsenal is a move that has been talked about without a real approach being made. But there are some signs that the Gunners could well be planning that approach.

The signing of Mikel Merino last summer meant, alongside Martin Odegaard, the Gunners currently have two of the starting three midfielders from the Real Sociedad squad from the 2019-20 season. The centre forward in that team? Isak.

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Outgoing La Real sporting director Roberto Olabe - who signed Isak to the LaLiga club in that same season - has also been rumoured as one of the names under consideration to replace Edu as Arsenal's transfer chief.

But the main reason Arsenal would move for him is he is one of the best strikers in Europe right now. That and the Gunners perhaps lacking that 'killer' forward up front in their pursuit of the title.

'Arsenal in a position to act in January'

Sky Sports News reporter Dharmesh Sheth on what Arsenal may do in January:

"It looks set to be a reactive transfer window for Arsenal.

"Bukayo Saka is among those injured, and Arsenal have to weigh up whether to go into the market for a forward.

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"Thankfully, Saka is on course to be back well before the end of the season, which will be a factor in Arsenal's thinking.

"However, if an opportunity was to arise for either a long-term target or a short-term loan, Arsenal are in a position to act.

"Players like Alexander Isak are admired but there has been no approach to Newcastle United and they will not sell in this window."

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