Arsenal and Manchester United head into Sunday’s high-stakes encounter at the Emirates Stadium with significant squad depletion as five first-team players have been officially ruled out.
The league-leading Gunners must navigate the clash without defensive duo Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie, with Mikel Arteta noting that Calafiori’s recovery “will be a matter of a few weeks, probably,” while United interim boss Michael Carrick faces his own defensive crisis with Matthijs de Ligt and Joshua Zirkzee sidelined.
Carrick confirmed that De Ligt’s rehabilitation has been “a little bit slower than what they thought previously,” adding a layer of complexity to a fixture where Arsenal aim to protect a seven-point lead while a resurgent United side looks to break into the top four.