As many as seven first-team players are set to miss the Premier League fixture between Arsenal and Nottingham Forest on Wednesday. The Gunners are aiming to bounce back from their disappointing 1-0 defeat to West Ham United on Saturday, a result that has left their title hopes hanging by a thread.
Following Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Manchester City on Sunday, Mikel Arteta’s side now trail the league leaders by 11 points. Although Arsenal have a game in hand, they face an uphill battle with just 12 matches remaining this season. A potential opportunity to close the gap awaits next month when they play their outstanding fixture, but for now, their focus shifts to a challenging midweek encounter.
The Gunners’ injury woes continue to mount, with five players confirmed to be out for Wednesday’s game, and another facing a late fitness test. Key forwards Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka, Takehiro Tomiyasu, and Gabriel Martinelli are all unavailable due to injury, leaving Arteta with limited attacking options.
Both Havertz and Jesus have been ruled out for the rest of the season after undergoing surgery earlier in the campaign. This forced Arteta to deploy midfielder Mikel Merino in a makeshift striker role during the loss to West Ham. Meanwhile, Martinelli remains sidelined with a hamstring injury, though he is expected to return before the end of the season, albeit with no clear timeline yet.
