Arsenal head into their Champions League clash against Inter Milan at the San Siro missing three key players, while the Italian hosts are set to be without several stars including Hakan Calhanoglu and Denzel Dumfries.
Arsenal prepare to defend their perfect 100% record in the Champions League tonight as they travel to face Serie A leaders Inter Milan amidst a mounting injury list for both sides.
Gunners manager Mikel Arteta confirmed during his pre-match press conference that he will be without the defensive duo of Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie, along with young talent Max Dowman, as the North London side aims for a seventh consecutive European victory.
Regarding the recovery of Calafiori, Arteta noted, “He is progressing, but we don’t know. I think it will be a matter of a few weeks, probably. We don’t know exactly when.”
While Arsenal received a boost with the availability of Kai Havertz and Cristhian Mosquera, the hosts face their own significant absences, with influential midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu and wing-back Denzel Dumfries both ruled out through injury.
Despite these setbacks, the stakes remain high at the San Siro; Arsenal currently sit atop the league phase with 18 points and need only a draw to secure automatic progression, while Arteta remains focused on the challenge, stating,
“When you have the opportunity to achieve something, you have to grab it. We’re really going to have to earn it against a top, top side. We know that.”